Weight and Capacity – Class 5 Maths Chapter 8 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 5MathematicsChapter 8NCERT book: Maths Mela - Mathematics Class 5

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 8 of the NCERT Class 5 Mathematics book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 8: Weight and Capacity

Introduction

The chapter opens with Anu checking the weights she has written for things at home. Is an iron almirah really 40 g? Is a refrigerator 50 g? Of course not! We learn to choose sensible units, read weighing scales, convert between units, compare quantities, and add, subtract, multiply and divide weights and capacities in real situations — a grocery shop, a milkman's delivery, a petrol pump, a juice stall.

Key Ideas

1. Units of Weight — From Tiny to Big

1,000 mg = 1 g 1,000 g = 1 kg 100 kg = 1 quintal 10 quintals = 1 tonne (= 1,000 kg)

Milligrams (mg) for very light things: an ant (1–5 mg), medicine, gold ornaments.

Grams (g) for a water bottle (650 g).

Kilograms (kg) for a rice bag, a bed.

Quintals and tonnes for trucks of grain.

2. Converting kg and g

3 kg 500 g = 3,000 g + 500 g = 3,500 g

5 kg 50 g = 5,050 g (not 5,500 g — Shamim is right!)

10,760 g = 10 kg 760 g

Use a double number line: 1 kg ↔ 1,000 g, 3 kg ↔ 3,000 g, 8 kg ↔ 8,000 g.

3. Comparing Weights

Convert to the same unit first, then compare.

1 kg 600 g < 1,700 g (1,600 g < 1,700 g)

10 kg 35 g = 10,035 g

4. Operations on Weight

Add: Rathna buys 2 kg 500 g + 1 kg 750 g rice = 4 kg 250 g

Subtract: 2 kg 500 g − 1 kg 750 g = 750 g

Multiply: 4 sacks × 10 kg 500 g = 40 kg + 2,000 g = 42 kg

Divide: 4 kg 800 g ÷ 4 = 1 kg + 200 g = 1 kg 200 g

5. Capacity — Litres and Millilitres

1 l = 1,000 ml

2 l = 2,000 ml; 1 l 400 ml = 1,400 ml (Mary is right, not 1,040 ml)

14,075 ml = 14 l 75 ml

A bucket cannot hold only 20 ml — for large containers we use litres.

6. Operations on Capacity

Sam bought 2 l 800 ml more petrol than Tina's 2 l 500 ml:

2 l 500 ml + 2 l 800 ml = 4 l + 1,300 ml = 5 l 300 ml.

His tank then showed 9 l, so before refuelling it had 9 l − 5 l 300 ml = 3 l 700 ml.

Worked Examples

Example 1 — The King's Weight: The king donates wheat equal to 10 times his weight. This year he donated 800 kg, so he weighs 800 ÷ 10 = 80 kg. Last year he donated 780 kg → 78 kg. He gained 2 kg.

Example 2 — Juice stall: A 5 l container, glasses of 250 ml.

5,000 ml ÷ 250 ml = 20 glasses. After 10 glasses, 5,000 − 2,500 = 2,500 ml (2 l 500 ml) is left. At ₹25 per glass, 20 glasses earn ₹500.

Example 3 — Milk bottle: Milk is poured into 8 glasses of 360 ml each and 120 ml is left.

8 × 360 = 2,880 ml; 2,880 + 120 = 3,000 ml = 3 l was in the bottle.

Example 4 — Sharing oil: 8 l 400 ml ÷ 7 = 8,400 ml ÷ 7 = 1,200 ml = 1 l 200 ml per container.

Example 5 — Who filled more? Riya: 2 l + 4 × 500 ml = 4 l. Aarav: 3 × 750 ml = 2 l 250 ml. Riya filled 1 l 750 ml more.

Maths Words

Weight (भार), Capacity (धारिता)

Kilogram, gram, milligram (किलोग्राम, ग्राम, मिलीग्राम)

Quintal (क्विंटल), Tonne (टन)

Litre, millilitre (लीटर, मिलीलीटर)

Weighing scale / balance (तराज़ू)

Convert (बदलना), Compare (तुलना करना)

Maths in Daily Life

Buying vegetables, reading a kitchen scale, filling water bottles, milk deliveries, petrol for bikes, medicine doses, scrap dealers paying per kg — weight and capacity are everywhere.

Common Mistakes

Writing 5 kg 50 g as 5,500 g. Remember 50 g is only 050: 5,050 g.

Writing 1 l 400 ml as 1,040 ml — it is 1,400 ml.

Adding kg to g directly without converting (2 kg + 500 g is not 502 g).

Forgetting to regroup when grams go past 1,000 (1,300 ml = 1 l 300 ml).

Choosing silly units (an almirah in grams, a bucket in millilitres).

Practice Tips

Always convert to the same unit before comparing or calculating.

Use the double number line for conversions and for problems like "5 kg costs ₹73, so 10 kg costs ₹146".

Estimate first: is the answer sensible for that object?

💡 Key Learning Points

✓1,000 mg = 1 g, 1,000 g = 1 kg, 100 kg = 1 quintal, 10 quintals = 1 tonne, and 1 l = 1,000 ml.
✓Convert mixed units carefully: 5 kg 50 g = 5,050 g and 1 l 400 ml = 1,400 ml.
✓Convert quantities to the same unit before comparing them.
✓Weights and capacities can be added, subtracted, multiplied and divided, regrouping 1,000 g as 1 kg (or 1,000 ml as 1 l).
✓Choose the right unit for the object: mg for very light things, kg or tonnes for heavy things, ml or l for liquids.

👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

→Start with Anu's list and let children tick or correct the weights, discussing why 40 g is silly for an almirah.
→Bring a kitchen scale and a spring balance; children weigh classroom objects and record in kg and g.
→Draw a big double number line (kg above, g below) on the board and fill it together.
→Stage the Shamim–Rehan and Mary–Daisy debates as role-plays and let the class decide who is right.
→Use water bottles of 500 ml, 1 l and 250 ml glasses to act out the juice-stall and Ramiz problems.
→Set up a pretend grocery shop where children weigh, add and pay for items using the price list.
→Talk about mg with real examples like a medicine label or the weight of a gold ring.

📋 Assessment Questions

Can the child convert 7 kg 67 g to grams and 14,075 ml to l and ml correctly?
Can the child compare two quantities in different units using <, = or >?
Can the child add and subtract weights such as 2 kg 500 g and 1 kg 750 g with regrouping?
Can the child solve a division problem like 8 l 400 ml shared among 7 containers?
Can the child choose a sensible unit for everyday objects?

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