Volume and Capacity
Year 6 students measure and compare volumes and capacities using formal units, and calculate the volume of rectangular prisms by counting unit cubes or applying the formula.
What You Need to Know
Key Concept Diagram
Volume measures the space inside a 3D object and is recorded in cubic units (cm³ or m³)
Capacity measures how much liquid a container holds, recorded in millilitres (mL) or litres (L)
The volume of a rectangular prism = length × width × height
1 cm³ equals 1 mL — this connects volume and capacity
Key Vocabulary
Volume
The amount of space a 3D object occupies, measured in cubic units
Capacity
The maximum amount of liquid a container can hold
Rectangular prism
A 3D shape with six rectangular faces (also called a cuboid)
Cubic centimetre (cm³)
A unit of volume equal to a cube with sides of 1 cm
Knowledge Check
Select the correct answer for each question. Click "Check Answer" to see if you are right.
Question 1
A box is 5 cm long, 4 cm wide, and 3 cm tall. What is its volume?
Question 2
How many 1 cm³ cubes fit inside a rectangular prism that is 6 cm × 2 cm × 4 cm?
Question 3
A container holds exactly 2 litres. What is its capacity in millilitres?
Key Concepts Summary
- ●Volume measures the space inside a 3D object and is recorded in cubic units (cm³ or m³)
- ●Capacity measures how much liquid a container holds, recorded in millilitres (mL) or litres (L)
- ●The volume of a rectangular prism = length × width × height
- ●1 cm³ equals 1 mL — this connects volume and capacity