Math Worksheet · Grades 2–4
Capacity Worksheet
A 3-page customary-capacity worksheet for grades 2-4. Students convert between cups, pints, quarts, and gallons in Section A (8 fill-in items), then solve 4 real-world capacity word problems in Section B. A complete answer key is included.
Subject
Math
Grades
Grades 2–4
Skill Focus
Capacity, measurement
Lesson Length
20 minutes
Lesson Overview
About this worksheet
Capacity is one of the trickier measurement skills because the customary system uses four nested units (cups, pints, quarts, gallons) and each conversion factor is different. This worksheet anchors the chain – 1 pint equals 2 cups, 1 quart equals 2 pints, 1 gallon equals 4 quarts – in one reference box that students can refer back to throughout both sections. The reference box also restates the procedural rule: multiply when going from a larger unit to a smaller one, divide when going from a smaller unit to a larger one.
Section A on page 1 gives students 8 single-step conversions in a 1-column layout (1 quart = ____ cups; 3 gallons = ____ quarts; 20 cups = ____ quarts). The items cover every direction across the chain: cups to pints, pints to cups, quarts to gallons, gallons to pints, and the long jumps (gallons to cups; cups to quarts). The 1-column layout gives each item room for the unit names without crowding.
Section B on page 2 takes the same conversion procedures into 4 word problems with generous show-your-work boxes: a 2-gallon picnic jug filling 1-cup paper cups, a 6-quart juice purchase converted to pints, a 9-cup recipe with leftover cups, and a 5-gallon water cooler filling 1-quart bottles. Each problem requires students to identify the right conversion factor and then perform a multiply or divide step.
Page 3 is a complete answer key. Section A answers are single numbers in a 2-column grid; Section B answers show the conversion step plus the final answer (e.g., ‘2 gallons x 16 cups = 32 cups’) so students can self-check both the procedure and the arithmetic. The reference box at the top of page 1 uses two worked examples (10 cups = 5 pints; 14 gallons = 56 quarts) that are NOT reused in any Section A or Section B item to preserve reference independence.
How to Use This Lesson
Read the reference box aloud and have students chant the chain: ‘two cups in a pint, two pints in a quart, four quarts in a gallon.’
Work Section A item 1 together: 1 quart = ____ cups. Going from a larger unit (quart) to smaller (cup) means multiply: 1 x 4 = 4 cups.
Assign the rest of Section A independently or in pairs. Encourage students to underline the unit they are converting TO before writing the answer.
Demonstrate Section B item 9 together: a 2-gallon jug filling 1-cup paper cups. 2 gallons x 16 cups per gallon = 32 cups.
Walk through Section B item 11 (9-cup recipe with leftover cups) since it introduces a remainder, which is new for some students.
Use the answer key on page 3 for self-check or aide spot-check.
Printable Resource
A classroom-ready PDF with everything in one printable resource.
Free Member Resource · Printable PDF · 3 pages · Answer Key
Capacity Worksheet
A 3-page customary-capacity worksheet for grades 2-4. Students convert between cups, pints, quarts, and gallons in Section A (8 fill-in items), then solve 4 real-world capacity word problems in Section B. A complete answer key is included.
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