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Converting Mass and Capacity: Free Printable Worksheet for Year 5
- ForYear 5
- StageKey Stage 2
- CostFree
- FormatPrintable PDF
Converting Mass and Capacity is a free printable maths worksheet for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10). Children change between kilograms and grams, and between litres and millilitres. It takes about 10 minutes, needs only a pencil, and page 2 gives the grown-up notes, help ideas, a stretch task and the answers.
It comes from the Mini Minds Hub, the free library of printables from Jaques of London, the British games and toy company that has been making games for families since 1795. Print both pages, give page 1 to your child and keep page 2 for yourself. Black and white printing works well.
What is on the sheet
Children work through numbered conversion questions and write each answer in the space provided. Some questions go from a larger unit to a smaller one, and some go the other way. Many involve decimals, either in the number given or in the answer. Children decide whether to multiply or divide, then check that their answer is sensible for the size of the unit.
- 3 kg = ___ g
- 2500 g = ___ kg
- 4 l = ___ ml
- 1500 ml = ___ l
- 0.5 kg = ___ g
- 750 g = ___ kg
- 6 l = ___ ml
- 2.2 kg = ___ g
A worked example
7.4 kg = ___ g
This question is not on the sheet. It shows two ways to think about a conversion that includes a decimal.
Method 1: split the number- Split 7.4 kg into 7 kg and 0.4 kg.
- Change each part to grams. Multiply 7 by 1000 to get 7000. Multiply 0.4 by 1000 to get 400.
- Add the parts: 7000 + 400 = 7400.
- Going from kilograms to grams means the number gets bigger, so multiply by 1000.
- Each digit moves three places to the left in the place value grid.
- 7.4 becomes 7400. The empty places are filled with zeros.
How to choose: multiply or divide?
Think about the unit size
A kilogram is a bigger unit than a gram. So going from kilograms to grams, you need more of the smaller unit. The number gets bigger.
Pick the operation
Bigger number means multiply. Smaller number means divide. The same rule works for litres and millilitres.
Use place value
Multiplying by 1000 moves each digit three places to the left. Dividing by 1000 moves each digit three places to the right.
Check by estimating
Ask, does my answer look sensible? A small bag of sugar is not millions of grams. A full bath is not a few millilitres.
Why do we have two units for each measure?
Mass is measured in grams and kilograms. Capacity is measured in millilitres and litres. Having two units for each lets us pick the one that suits the job. A pinch of spice is easier to describe in grams, while a bag of potatoes is easier to describe in kilograms. Both are part of the metric system, which is built on tens, hundreds and thousands.
Children meet these units on food packets, drinks bottles, recipes and medicine labels. Sometimes a recipe uses one unit and the scales use another, so converting is a real everyday skill. It also builds understanding of place value and decimals, because each conversion shifts digits to a new place in a number.
Did you know?
- The word kilo means thousand, so a kilogram is a thousand times bigger than a gram.
- The word milli means one thousandth, so a millilitre is a very small amount of liquid.
- Kilometres and kilograms both use the same prefix, kilo.
- Food packets in the UK usually show mass in grams or kilograms.
- Drinks bottles often show capacity in millilitres or litres, and some show both.
Skills and curriculum link
- Converting kg and g
- Converting l and ml
- Multiplying by 1000
- Working with decimals
- Place value
- Checking answers make sense
This sheet supports the area below. It is matched to the published England framework. Please check it against your own school plan.
| Framework | Subject or area | Strand | Year |
|---|---|---|---|
| National Curriculum (England) | Maths | Measurement | Year 5 |
What children will be able to do
- I can change kilograms to grams.
- I can change litres to millilitres.
- I can say how many grams are in a kilogram.
Ideas to help with conversions
- Big unit to small unitWhen you change to a smaller unit, you need more of them. The number in your answer gets bigger.
- Small unit to big unitWhen you change to a bigger unit, you need fewer of them. The number in your answer gets smaller.
- Place value gridWrite the number in a place value grid. Move each digit the right number of places, then fill any gaps with zeros.
- Same rule for bothMass and capacity follow the same pattern. Once children know it for kilograms and grams, it carries over to litres and millilitres.
Key words
- MassHow much matter is in something. In everyday talk, we often say weight.
- Kilogram (kg)A larger unit used to measure mass, such as a bag of potatoes.
- Gram (g)A smaller unit used to measure mass, such as a pinch of spice.
- CapacityHow much a container can hold, or how much liquid is in it.
- Litre (l)A larger unit used to measure capacity, such as a bottle of juice.
- Millilitre (ml)A smaller unit used to measure capacity, such as a spoon of medicine.
How to use it
- Print both pages. Page 1 is for your child. Keep page 2, which has the notes and answers.
- Read the first question aloud. Ask, "Will the answer be a bigger number or a smaller number?" Talk about why.
- Let your child work in their own way. A place value grid, a ruler or a number line can all help.
- Check together using page 2. Ask, "How did you work that out?" The reasoning matters as much as the answer.
- Come back another day and redo any questions that felt tricky. Repeating a familiar sheet builds confidence.
Help, stretch and game ideas
If it feels too hard
Start with the whole number questions: 1, 3 and 7. Say the unit out loud each time, for example kilograms to grams. Ask whether the answer should be bigger or smaller. Use a place value grid to move the digits, then try the decimals later.
To stretch confident children
Write three conversions of your own that include decimals, then swap with a friend and solve each other's. Try to include one that goes from a small unit to a large unit and one that goes from a large unit to a small one.
Make it a game
Find a bag of flour or a bottle of water at home and read the label. Convert the amount to grams or millilitres, or to kilograms or litres. Then hunt for two more items. Swap with a partner and check each other's work.
Mistakes to watch for
Watch forA child multiplies by 100 instead of 1000 and writes 3.4 l as 340 ml.
Try thisLook at the unit names. Kilo and milli both link to a thousand. Move each digit three places, not two.
Watch forA child multiplies when they should divide, so a smaller unit to a larger unit gives a bigger number.
Try thisAsk, "Should I need more or fewer?" A large unit holds many small ones, so going up means fewer.
Watch forA child forgets to write zeros in the empty places, so 8.3 kg becomes 83 g.
Try thisUse a place value grid. Move the digits, then fill every empty place with a zero before reading the number.
Talk about it
- How do you know whether the answer will be bigger or smaller than the number you started with?
- Why do we have both grams and kilograms?
- Where have you seen millilitres on a label at home?
- What is the same about changing kilograms and changing litres?
- Which question was the trickiest, and why?
- When might you need to convert in a recipe?
Take it off the page
Label hunt
Look around the kitchen cupboards for packets and bottles. Write down each amount and its unit, then convert it to the other unit in the pair.
Estimate and measure
Guess how many millilitres a cup, a spoon and a bottle each hold. Then read the markings on a measuring jug to check. Write your estimates and the real amounts side by side.
Shop for a party
Make up a pretend party shopping list with amounts in kilograms and litres. Write each amount again in grams and millilitres, as if the label used the smaller unit.
Who it is for
Parents
Sit beside your child for the first question, then let them lead. Ten minutes is plenty. If they get stuck, ask whether the answer should be bigger or smaller, and use real packets from your cupboard to make it concrete.
Teachers
Use it as a starter after teaching metric units, a plenary, an early finisher task or homework. Whole number questions give a way in, and decimal questions stretch confident learners. Page 2 has the answers for quick marking.
Home educators
Pair this with everyday measuring, such as weighing ingredients or reading labels on shopping. Because it is free to print, you can use it again for brothers and sisters or as revision a few weeks later.
Where this fits
Before this, children learn place value, multiplying and dividing by 10 and 100, and reading scales on measuring equipment. Those skills make it easier to see why digits move when units change.
After this, children convert other metric units, such as length. In Year 6 they solve problems that include converting units, using decimals up to three places, so a secure grasp of kilograms, grams, litres and millilitres is a good foundation.
Check it worked
Ask these when the sheet is finished. Listen for the reasoning, not just the answer.
- How many grams are in 2 kilograms?
- What do you do to change litres to millilitres?
- When might you need to convert in a recipe?
Questions parents and teachers ask
- What age is Converting Mass and Capacity for?
It is written for Year 5 (ages 9 to 10) in Key Stage 2. It also works as revision for older children who need to feel more secure with metric units and decimals.
- What will children practise?
Children practise changing between kilograms and grams, and between litres and millilitres. They use multiplying by 1000, work with decimals and check that their answers make sense for the units.
- How long does it take?
It takes about 10 minutes. Children who like to talk through each answer may take a little longer, and that is fine. Short, focused sessions work better than long ones.
- What if it feels too hard?
Start with the whole number questions, which are 1, 3 and 7. Ask whether the answer should be bigger or smaller, and use a place value grid. Come back to the decimals another day.
- Is it free?
Yes. It is free to print for home and classroom use. You can print it again for brothers, sisters or revision, and there is no need to print in colour.
- Is it suitable for teachers to use in class?
Yes. Teachers can use it as a starter, plenary, early finisher task, homework or table activity. It needs no preparation beyond printing, and page 2 has support, stretch and answers.
- Is this a screen free activity?
Yes. It needs only paper and a pencil, so it works well for quiet time, rainy days and school holidays. A ruler or number line can be kept handy for support.
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Made by Jaques of London, making games for families since 1795. A printable supports classroom learning and does not replace a teacher.