Capacity

Capacity is an interesting concept that we use in our daily lives. It's an essential part of our lives, from the cups we drink to the bathtubs we play in. In this article, we will dive into the world of capacity, learn why it's essential and discover how we measure it.

What is Capacity?

We can define capacity as the maximum amount of liquid a container can hold.

When we see a bottle and think about how much water it can hold, here we are figuring out the Capacity of the bottle.

Look closely at the three bottles below:

In the first bottle, the water content is less than half.

In the second bottle, the water content is half.

In the third bottle, the water content is more than half but not full.

In the fourth bottle, the water content is full.

We can define capacity as the maximum amount of liquid that can be poured into a vessel without leaking or spilling out. It also has a relationship with Volume.

What is Volume?

Volume is how much space an object can occupy. When we talk about the volume of an object, here object refers to 3-dimensional shapes like cube, cuboid and cone.

Capacity Measurement Units

The standard units for measuring capacity are:

Litres (L)

Millilitres (mL)

The other units of capacity are:

Gallon

Quarts

Pints

Example 1: How many millilitres of liquid is there in the beaker given below?

a) 750 mL
b) 900 mL
c) 1000 mL
d) 1200 mL

Answer: c) 1000 mL

Explanation: Each marking on the beaker is 250 mL. There are a total of 4 markings.
The capacity of the beaker = 250 + 250 + 250 + 250
= 1000 mL = 1 Litre

Example 2: A petrol pump contains a thousand litres of petrol. An employee served petrol to fifteen cars, each with forty litres of petrol. How much petrol is left at the end of the day?

a) 200 litres
b) 400 litres
c) 600 litres
d) 800 litres

Answer: b)400 litres

Explanation:  Total capacity of petrol in petrol pump = 1000 litres
Number of cars = 15
Each car has a capacity of petrol = 40 litres
Total capacity of 15 cars = 15 × 40 = 600 litres
Petrol is left at the end of the day = 1000 − 600 = 400 litres.

Conversion of one unit of capacity to another:

The conversions are shown as:

• 1 Litre (L) = 1000 Millilitres (mL)
• 1 Gallon = 4 Quarts
• 1 Gallon = 8 Pints
• 1 Quart = 2 Pints

The markings of litres and millilitres on the mug are shown to help understand them better.

Example 3: A water tank contains nine gallons of water. What is the capacity of a tank in pints?

a) 72 pints
b) 74 pints
c) 82 pints
d) 84 pints

Answer: a)72 pints

Explanation: Capacity of a water tank = 9 gallons
Capacity of a water tank in pints = 9 × 8 = 72 pints