Understanding Capacity and Volume
What is Capacity? Capacity is how much liquid a container can hold. When we measure capacity, we're finding out how much space is inside a container for liquids like water, juice, or milk!
Units of Capacity
Liter (L)
A liter is the main unit we use to measure capacity. Think of a large water bottle - that's about 1 liter!
- Symbol: L
- Used for: larger amounts of liquid
- Example: A big bottle of soda is 2 liters
Milliliter (mL)
A milliliter is a much smaller unit. It takes 1,000 milliliters to make 1 liter!
- Symbol: mL
- Used for: smaller amounts of liquid
- Example: A teaspoon holds about 5 mL
Remember: 1 L = 1,000 mL
Visual Comparison
Capacity vs. Volume
Capacity tells us how much a container can hold when it's full.
Volume tells us how much liquid is actually in the container right now.
