Comparing Volumes
Maths: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 2.3.2
Comparing and Ordering Volumes
You can use your knowledge of units of volume to work out which containers have more or less liquid or to put them in order.
Drinks
- Some children poured their drinks into some measuring cylinders.
- Amy says hers shows 700 mƖ.
- Sam says his is half a litre.
- Who has the larger volume of drink?
Answer
- Half a litre is 500mƖ
- 700 Ɩ > 500 Ɩ
- Amy has a larger volume of drink than Sam.
Containers
- The class wants to order the capacity of different containers from smallest to largest.
- They fill each of them with water then pour the water into a measuring jug one at a time.
- The teacher’s cup contained 400 mƖ.
- A staffroom kettle contained 960 mƖ.
- A large plastic bottle contained 2 Ɩ.
Answer
- To order the capacity of the containers, we need to write them all in millilitres:
- 2 Ɩ = 2000 mƖ
- The containers are ordered from smallest to largest:
- Teacher's cup.
- Staffroom kettle.
- Plastic bottle.
Test yourself on Comparing Volumes
Which is the largest volume?
Which is the smallest volume?
Arrange the following measurements in order of volume from the smallest (1) to the largest (5)
Arrange the following measurements in order of volume from the smallest (1) to the largest (5)