Estimating capacity
Estimate the capacity of containers by comparing them with a known measure and check by filling: informal units (e.g. cups or scoops) at an early stage, and litres and millilitres (e.g. against a 1-litre bottle, as in England Key Stage 2) when standard units are known; at the standard-unit stage, distinguish a container's capacity (how much it can hold) from the volume of liquid in it. Estimating the volume of solids with 1 cm³ cubes is covered in Counting Unit Cubes
Lesson
Set out your lesson
Practise the bounded task in Estimating volume; see exact limits before inferring broader coverage.
Before teaching
Use this short check, then start teaching.
Understands a unit cube; use a drawing, not sugar cubes assumed to be exactly 1 cm³.
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Practise the bounded task in Estimating volume; see exact limits before inferring broader coverage.
Practise the bounded task in Estimating volume; see exact limits before inferring broader coverage.
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Learning resources
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BBC Bitesize · Practice link — not the full lesson
KS3 Maths
Before you open · source notes
KS3 Maths supports Estimating capacity. An adult previews and guides; this is a learning page, not a scored quiz.
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Public BBC Bitesize page. An anonymous GET on 2026-11-12 returned HTTP 200 with no login or payment prompt for this URL. Opening the link does not save practice or assess mastery. An adult should preview and guide the learner.
BBC Bitesize. “KS3 Maths.” External page; Gakuva does not copy, host, embed, or redistribute materials.
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Check understanding
- Estimate how many cups of water a jug holds by comparing it with a container they know, then fill it to check (informal units)
- Estimate whether a mug holds about 30 ml, 300 ml or 3 litres, or compare a jug with a 1-litre bottle, then check with a measuring jug (standard units)
- Explain that a 1-litre jug half full of water has a capacity of 1 litre but holds 500 ml of water (standard-unit stage)
“Can your child guess how much a jug or bottle will hold — in cups, or in litres and millilitres once they know them — and then fill it to check?”
Curriculum record
- Type
- Procedural
- Subject
- Mathematics
- Domain
- Measurement
- Age range
- Ages 6–11
Standards