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CBSE Class 3 Mathematics★ 4–5 marks · CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Math-Magic) Chapter 11

Jugs and Mugs

Measurement of capacity — millilitres and litres. Comparing volumes. Standard units and fun word problems. CBSE Class 3 Mathematics (Math-Magic) Chapter 11.

⏱ 8 min readEasy difficulty✓ Free · NCERT-aligned

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By the end of this chapter you'll be able to…

1Identify units of capacity: millilitre (mL) for small amounts, litre (L) for large amounts
2Estimate capacity using benchmarks: spoon ≈ 5 mL, glass ≈ 200 mL, water bottle ≈ 1 L, bucket ≈ 10-15 L
3Compare volumes — which holds more, and by how much
4Convert between mL and L: 1 L = 1000 mL
5Solve practical problems: number of glasses to fill a jug, number of buckets to fill a tank

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Why this chapter matters

Capacity is the third fundamental measurement after length and weight. This chapter introduces millilitres (mL) for small amounts and litres (L) for large amounts, using everyday benchmarks: a spoon ≈ 5 mL, a glass ≈ 200 mL, a bucket ≈ 10-15 L. Children learn to compare volumes, convert between mL and L, and solve practical problems — how many glasses fill a jug, how many buckets fill a tank. These are real kitchen and life skills.

Before you start — revise these

A 5-minute refresher here will save you 30 minutes of confusion below.

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Class 3 Mathematics Chapter 8: Who is Heavier?

Builds on measurement concepts and unit conversion — now applying to capacity (liquid measurement).

Jugs and Mugs

What is Capacity?

CAPACITY tells us how much a container can HOLD.

A GLASS can hold some water
A BUCKET can hold MORE water
A TANK can hold EVEN MORE water

Capacity is also called VOLUME.

Units of Capacity

Millilitre (mL)

A MILLILITRE is a VERY SMALL unit. We use it for SMALL amounts of liquid.

Container	Approximate Capacity
A spoon	About 5 mL
A teaspoon	About 5 mL
A small medicine cup	About 10 mL
A shot glass	About 30 mL
A small cup of tea	About 100 mL
A glass of water	About 200 mL

Litre (L)

A LITRE is a BIGGER unit. We use it for LARGER amounts of liquid.

Container	Approximate Capacity
A water bottle	1 L
A jug	1-2 L
A bucket	10-15 L
A petrol can	5-20 L
A water tank	500-2000 L
A swimming pool	Many thousands of litres

1 Litre = 1000 Millilitres

Comparing Volumes

Which Holds More?

Container A	Container B	Which Holds More?
Glass (200 mL)	Bucket (10 L)	Bucket
Spoon (5 mL)	Cup (200 mL)	Cup
Water bottle (1 L)	Small bottle (500 mL)	Water bottle
Bathtub (100 L)	Bucket (10 L)	Bathtub

Which Holds Less?

Container A	Container B	Which Holds Less?
Glass (200 mL)	Mug (300 mL)	Glass
Small cup (100 mL)	Large cup (250 mL)	Small cup

Measuring Capacity

Using a Measuring Jug

A MEASURING JUG has marks showing mL and L.

Place the jug on a FLAT surface
Pour the liquid SLOWLY
READ the mark at the BOTTOM of the curved surface (called the MENISCUS)

Using a 1-Litre Bottle

A 1-litre water bottle holds EXACTLY 1 L = 1000 mL.

Try This: How many glasses of water fill a 1 L bottle?

If a glass holds 200 mL: 1000 ÷ 200 = 5 glasses

Estimation of Capacity

Practice Estimating

Estimate: How many GLASSES of water fill a 2 L bottle? ___ glasses
Estimate: How many SPOONSFUL of water fill a cup? ___ spoons
Estimate: How many MUGS of water fill a bucket? ___ mugs

Tips

A SPOON holds about 5 mL
A GLASS (small) holds about 200 mL
A WATER BOTTLE holds about 1 L
A BUCKET holds about 10 L

Real-Life Capacity Problems

Problem 1: Filling Water Bottles

Riya has a 2 L water bottle. She drinks 500 mL during the day. How much water is LEFT?

Solution: 2 L = 2000 mL. 2000 mL - 500 mL = 1500 mL = 1 L 500 mL

Problem 2: How Many Glasses?

A jug contains 1 L of juice. Each glass holds 200 mL. How many glasses can be filled?

Solution: 1 L = 1000 mL. 1000 ÷ 200 = 5 glasses

Problem 3: Adding Liquids

A tank has 5 L of water. Ravi adds 3 L more. How much water is in the tank now?

Solution: 5 L + 3 L = 8 L

Problem 4: Comparing

A bucket holds 12 L. A drum holds 25 L. How much MORE does the drum hold?

Solution: 25 - 12 = 13 L more

Problem 5: Milk Delivery

A milkman has 20 L of milk. He sells 15 L. How much is left?

Solution: 20 - 15 = 5 L left

Problem 6: Medicine

A cough syrup bottle has 100 mL. Each dose is 5 mL. How many doses in the bottle?

Solution: 100 ÷ 5 = 20 doses

Kitchen Measurement Activity

Using Everyday Items

Item	Approximate Capacity
A teaspoon	5 mL
A tablespoon	15 mL
A small cup (katori)	100 mL
A tea cup	150-200 mL
A glass	200-250 mL
A mug	300 mL
A water bottle	1 L
A bucket	10-15 L

Activity: How Many Cups in a Bottle?

Take a 1 L water bottle
Fill it with water
Pour it into small cups (katoris)
Count how many cups you filled
Each cup = 100 mL (approx.)

Water Conservation

Water is PRECIOUS. We should not WASTE it.

Tips to Save Water

Turn OFF the tap while brushing your teeth
Use a MUG of water instead of running the tap
FIX leaking taps — a dripping tap can waste 20 L per day!
Collect RAINWATER for plants
Take SHORTER showers

How Much Water Do We Use?

Activity	Water Used (approx.)
Brushing teeth (tap running)	5 L
Brushing teeth (mug)	500 mL
One flush of toilet	10 L
5-minute shower	50 L
Bucket bath	15 L
Washing clothes (machine)	60 L

Common Mistakes

'1 L = 100 mL.' — No! 1 L = 1000 mL. The 'milli' in millilitre means 1000.
'A cup can hold 1 L of water.' — Most cups hold 150-250 mL, not 1 L. That is a VERY big cup!
'A litre is a small amount.' — No! A litre is a decent amount. 1 L = 1000 mL. That is 5 full glasses of water.
'Capacity and weight are the same.' — No! Capacity is how MUCH a container HOLDS. Weight is how HEAVY it is. A big balloon has capacity but is very light!
'Capacity is measured in grams.' — No! Capacity is measured in LITRES and MILLILITRES. Weight is measured in GRAMS and KILOGRAMS.

Quick Self-Test

Q1: How many millilitres are in 1 litre? A1: 1000 mL.

Q2: Which holds more: a glass (200 mL) or a bucket (10 L)? A2: The bucket holds more (10 L = 10,000 mL).

Q3: Convert 3 L into mL. A3: 3 L = 3000 mL.

Q4: A bottle has 1 L of water. Ravi drinks 300 mL. How much is left? A4: 1000 - 300 = 700 mL.

Q5: How many 200 mL glasses can you fill from a 2 L bottle? A5: 2000 ÷ 200 = 10 glasses.

Q6: Name two things measured in litres. A6: Water, milk, juice, petrol, oil (any two).

Q7: A spoon holds about 5 mL. How many spoons fill a 100 mL cup? A7: 100 ÷ 5 = 20 spoons.

Q8: How much water can you save by using a mug instead of running tap while brushing? A8: About 4.5 L (5 L - 500 mL = 4500 mL = 4.5 L).

Key formulas & results

Everything you need to memorise, in one card. Screenshot this for revision.

Units of capacity and their use

Millilitre (mL): very small amounts — spoon (5 mL), medicine cup (10 mL), tea cup (100 mL), glass of water (200 mL) · Litre (L): larger amounts — water bottle (1 L), cooking oil (1-5 L), bucket (10-15 L), water tank (500-1000 L)

Choose the right unit: mL for small, L for large. A spoon in litres would be 0.005 L — impractical.

Unit conversion

1 L = 1000 mL · ½ L = 500 mL · ¼ L = 250 mL · To convert L to mL: multiply by 1000 (3 L = 3000 mL) · To convert mL to L: divide by 1000 (1500 mL = 1 L 500 mL = 1.5 L)

At Class 3 level, focus on 1 L = 1000 mL and simple conversions. Decimal form (1.5 L) is optional.

Practical filling problems

Number of glasses to fill a jug = jug capacity ÷ glass capacity. Example: 1 L jug (1000 mL), each glass = 200 mL → 1000 ÷ 200 = 5 glasses. Number of buckets to fill a tank = tank capacity ÷ bucket capacity.

This is pre-division thinking — 'how many of these fit into that?' Use repeated addition or skip counting to solve.

Comparing capacities

Always convert to the SAME unit before comparing. Container A = 1500 mL, Container B = 2 L. Convert: 2 L = 2000 mL. B holds more by 2000−1500 = 500 mL.

Same rule as length and weight: same unit for comparison. Convert first, then compare.

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Common mistakes & fixes

These are the exact errors that cost students marks in board exams. Read them once, save yourself the trouble.

WATCH OUT

✗ Confusing capacity (how much a container CAN hold) with how much liquid is currently IN it

✓ Capacity = maximum the container can hold (a 1 L bottle has a capacity of 1 L). Current amount = how much is filled right now (could be half full = 500 mL). Capacity is the CONTAINER'S limit.

WATCH OUT

✗ Thinking a tall thin glass holds more than a short wide glass

✓ Shape can be deceiving. A short, wide container may hold MORE than a tall, thin one. Volume depends on all three dimensions, not just height. Always check by measuring, not by looking.

WATCH OUT

✗ Using mL when L would be more appropriate (or vice versa) — saying 'my water bottle is 1000 mL' instead of '1 L'

✓ Both are correct, but for amounts ≥ 1000 mL, it's more common to use L. 1000 mL = 1 L, 500 mL = ½ L. Use L for big amounts, mL for small.

NCERT exercises (with solutions)

Every NCERT exercise from this chapter — what it covers and how many questions to expect.

Identification and comparison

Which holds more? Match containers to approximate capacities; choose mL or L

Questions

Practical problems

How many glasses to fill a jug? How many buckets to fill a tank? Conversion between mL and L

Questions

Practice problems

Try each one yourself before tapping "Show solution". Active recall > rereading.

Q1EASY· Unit

Which unit would you use to measure medicine in a spoon — mL or L?

▶ Show solution

Millilitre (mL). A spoon holds about 5 mL — a very small amount. Using L would be like measuring an ant in kilometres.

Q2EASY· Conversion

How many millilitres are there in 2 L?

▶ Show solution

2 L = 2 × 1000 = 2000 mL.

Q3EASY· Compare

Jug A holds 1500 mL. Jug B holds 2 L. Which holds more and by how much?

▶ Show solution

Convert: 2 L = 2000 mL. Jug B (2000 mL) holds more than Jug A (1500 mL). Difference = 2000 − 1500 = 500 mL. Jug B holds 500 mL more.

Q4EASY· Practical

One glass holds 200 mL of water. How many glasses can be filled from a 1 L water bottle?

▶ Show solution

1 L = 1000 mL. Number of glasses = 1000 ÷ 200 = 5. OR: 200 + 200 + 200 + 200 + 200 = 1000 (5 glasses).

Q5MEDIUM· Estimate

Estimate how many litres of water you drink in a day. Explain your estimate.

▶ Show solution

About 2 L per day. Reasoning: I drink about 8-10 glasses of water daily. Each glass is about 200-250 mL. 8 × 250 mL = 2000 mL = 2 L. This is a healthy amount recommended for children.

5-minute revision

The whole chapter, distilled. Read this the night before the exam.

•Units of capacity: millilitre (mL) for small amounts, litre (L) for large amounts
•1 litre (L) = 1000 millilitres (mL). ½ L = 500 mL, ¼ L = 250 mL
•Capacity benchmarks: spoon ≈ 5 mL, glass ≈ 200 mL, water bottle ≈ 1 L, bucket ≈ 10-15 L
•Capacity = how much a container CAN hold. Don't confuse with how much is currently inside
•A tall container doesn't always hold more than a short one — volume depends on all dimensions
•Practical math: number of cups in a jug = jug capacity ÷ cup capacity

CBSE marks blueprint

Where the marks come from in this chapter — so you can plan your prep.

Typical chapter weightage: 4–5 marks in Class 3 Mathematics assessment

Question type	Marks each	Typical count	What it tests
Fill in the blanks / MCQ (1 mark)	1	2	Choosing mL or L; 1 L = ___ mL; identifying which container holds more from a picture
Short answer (2 marks)	2	1–2	Comparing capacities with conversion; practical filling problems; estimation

Prep strategy

Kitchen activity: use measuring cups and a 1 L water bottle. How many cups fill the bottle?
Collect containers — spoon, cup, glass, bottle, bucket — arrange from 'holds least' to 'holds most'
While cooking, point out mL and L on ingredient packages: milk (500 mL, 1 L), oil (1 L), juice (200 mL)
Ask: 'How many of your water bottles would fill this bucket?' — build estimation skills
Visit a petrol pump — the litres on the fuel dispenser are a real-world application of capacity

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