Chapter 11: Filling and Lifting

How much water fits in a jug? How heavy is a watermelon? Filling and lifting are everyday adventures. In this chapter, we measure how much and how heavy.

What we'll learn

Understand capacity , how much a container can hold.
Use litres and millilitres.
Understand weight , how heavy a thing is.
Use kilograms and grams.
Compare containers and objects.

The big idea

Capacity is the amount a container can hold. A small katori holds less than a glass; a glass holds less than a jug; a jug holds less than a bucket. We measure capacity in litres (L) and millilitres (mL). One litre is 1000 millilitres.

A pet water bottle is about 1 litre. A small juice tetra-pak is about 200 millilitres. A bathing bucket is about 15 litres. These help us guess sizes.

Weight tells us how heavy something is. A pencil is light. A schoolbag is heavy. A tractor is very heavy. We use kilograms (kg) and grams (g). One kilogram is 1000 grams.

In the bazaar, the sabziwala uses a weighing scale. Onions might weigh 2 kg, ginger 100 g. Light things need grams; heavy things need kilograms. Choosing the right unit matters.

Let's explore

Glass count. How many glasses of water fill one jug at home? Count carefully. Try with different glasses.

Heavy or light. Pick two things , a book and a slipper. Hold one in each hand. Which feels heavier? Use a kitchen scale to check.

Pour and compare. Take 3 different cups. Fill one with water and pour into the others. Which cup holds the most?

Sabziwala day. When you go shopping with someone, watch the weighing scale. Note the weight of 3 vegetables.

Worked examples

Example 1. A bottle holds 2 litres. A glass holds 250 mL. How many glasses fill the bottle?

2 litres = 2000 mL.
2000 ÷ 250 = 8.
8 glasses fill the bottle.

Example 2. A bag has 3 kg of atta. Amma uses 500 g. How much atta is left?

3 kg = 3000 g.
3000 − 500 = 2500 g.
2500 g = 2 kg 500 g.

Example 3. Which is more: 1 kg of feathers or 1 kg of stones?

Both are 1 kg!
They weigh the same, even though stones look smaller.

Quick check

Which unit would you use to measure water in a tank , litres or millilitres?
How many grams are in 1 kilogram?
A papaya weighs 2 kg. A mango weighs 200 g. How many mangoes balance one papaya?
Is a bucket's capacity more or less than a glass?
A water bottle holds 1 litre. How many millilitres is that?

Recap

Capacity is measured in litres and millilitres.
Weight is measured in kilograms and grams.
1 litre = 1000 mL, and 1 kg = 1000 g.