Minds On
Exploring mass and capacity
Explore this video entitled "Weight – Measurement in Units" to learn more about measuring objects. In this video, Teacher Troy explores a few food items to find out how they are measured.
- What are the units used to measure a carton of milk?
- What are the units used to measure a box of cookies?
- Why do you think we use different types of units to measure different types of items?
Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.
Action
Defining mass and capacity
Mass is the amount of matter in an object. It is what causes the object to feel light or heavy. We can use the metric units grams and kilograms to measure mass.
Capacity is the amount that a container can hold. We can use capacity to describe how much of a pourable substance would fit inside a container such as a cup, a pail, a swimming pool or even a room. We can use millilitres and litres to measure capacity.
When working with metric units such as grams, kilograms, millilitres and litres we can use a benchmark as a reference.
Examine the following benchmark examples.
What do you notice about the relationship between grams and kilograms?
What do you notice about the relationship between millilitres and litres?
Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.
Test Your Skills!
Teacher Troy’s food items
You may have noticed that the benchmark helps us to understand that 1 kilogram contains 1,000 grams and 1 litre contains 1,000 milligrams.
Let’s examine some of the examples of mass and capacity that Teacher Troy presented in the Minds On video.
- A box of cookies measures 350 grams. The metric unit is grams and the total amount of grams in the box is 350.
- A carton of milk measures 1 litre. This means the carton holds 1 litre of liquid.
- A can of soup measures 284 millilitres. This means the can holds 284 millilitres of liquid.
Which item has the greatest capacity? How do you know?
Record your thinking using a method of your choice.
Mass or capacity?
The following are some items that are commonly measured. You will explore each item and then use the benchmark examples to help answer the fill in the blank questions for each item.
Item 1: Water bottle
For each sentence, select the missing word from the drop-down menu.
Which metric unit did you pick for the water bottle? Why does this metric unit work best?
When you are ready, press the ‘Answer’ button to reveal possible answers.
Item 1 : Water bottle
We are measuring the capacity of the water bottle. Since the size of the water bottle is smaller than a litre of milk, we can use millilitres to measure the capacity.
The water bottle can hold 500 millilitres.
Item 2: Watermelon
For each sentence, select the missing word from the drop-down menu.
Which metric unit did you pick for the watermelon? Why does this metric unit work best?
When you are ready, press the ‘Answer’ button to reveal possible answers.
We are measuring the mass of the watermelon. Since the size of the watermelon is larger than a bag of sugar or a bag of apples, we can use kilograms to measure the watermelon.
The watermelon is 9 kilograms.
Item 3: Paperclips
For each sentence, select the missing word from the drop-down menu.
Which metric unit did you pick for the paperclips? Why does this metric unit work best?
When you are ready, press the ‘Answer’ button to reveal possible answers.
We are measuring the mass of the 2 paperclips. We use grams to measure the paperclips because we know that 1 paper clip equals 1 gram.
Therefore, 2 paper clips equal 2 grams.
Item 4: Car
For each sentence, select the missing word from the drop-down menu.
Which metric unit did you pick for the car? Why does this metric unit work best?
When you are ready, press the ‘Answer’ button to reveal possible answers.
We are measuring the mass of the car. Since the size of the car is larger than a bag of sugar or a bag of apples, we can use kilograms to measure the car.
The mass of the car is about 1,302 kilograms.
Brainstorm
Brainstorm
Respond to the following question. You can record your thinking using a method of your choice.
Why is it important to select different metric units depending on the item?
Consolidation
Mass and capacity practice
Let’s practice identifying mass and capacity!
Explore the items in the following chart. For each item, identify if the item is measured in mass or capacity, and identify the units of measurement.
You can complete this activity using the following fillable and printable Mass or Capacity document. You can also use a method of your choice.
Think about your learning
Respond to the following questions. You can record your thinking using a method of your choice.
- How did you know which item was measured in mass or capacity?
- How did you choose the metric unit?
- What have you discovered about measuring mass and capacity?
Reflection
As you read through these descriptions, which sentence best describes how you are feeling about your understanding of this learning activity? Press the button that is beside this sentence.
I feel...
Now, record your ideas using a voice recorder, speech-to-text, or writing tool.
Press ‘Discover More’ to extend your skills.
Discover MoreRecipes
Many chefs use recipes when they cook. In every recipe there is a list of ingredients and a measurement to identify how much of each ingredient is needed.
Examine the following ingredient list. As you examine the list, consider these questions:
- How do you know which ingredients are measured in mass and which are measured in capacity?
- Which ingredient has the greatest amount, and which has the least? How do you know?
- Why do you think recipes use other units of measurement? (for example: cups, tablespoons, teaspoons etc.)
Record your ideas in a notebook or a method of your choice.
Description
Berry muffins recipe: 1 and a half cups (195 grams) all-purpose flour, 3 quarter cup (150 grams) sugar, 1 quarter teaspoon salt, 1.5 teaspoon baking powder, 1 third cup (80 milliliters) oil, 1 large egg (about 45 milliliters or 3 tablespoons), half a cup (80 ml – 120 milliliters) milk, 1 teaspoon vanilla extract, 1 cup (190 grams) frozen berries.