How Big? How Heavy? Complete Guide For Class 5 Math Chapter 14

Welcome to iPrep, your Learning Super App. Our learning resources for the chapter, How Big? How Heavy? in Mathematics for Class 5th is designed to ensure that you grasp this concept with clarity and perfection. Whether you’re studying for an upcoming exam or strengthening your concepts, our engaging animated videos, practice questions and notes offer you the best of integrated learning with interesting explanations and examples. 

The chapter How Big? How Heavy? Focuses on developing an understanding of measuring objects in terms of size, weight, and volume. The chapter introduces students to practical concepts of comparing and estimating different objects’ dimensions and weights. Through engaging activities, students learn how to use standard units like grams, kilograms, and liters, and how to interpret measurements in everyday life. The chapter also emphasizes the importance of using tools like weighing scales and measuring tapes, enhancing students’ ability to analyze and solve real-world problems involving measurements.

How Big? How Heavy?

The chapter “How Big? How Heavy?” delves into the concepts of volume and weight through interactive activities and real-life examples. 

Understanding Volume: Measuring with Marbles

The chapter How Big? How Heavy? Begins by introducing the idea of volume with the help of Sarika, who collects objects like marbles and coins.

Sarika demonstrates how placing objects like marbles in a glass of water can help determine their volume by observing how much water the objects displace. 

This simple activity allows children to visualize how much space objects take up.

Activity:

• Take a measuring glass, mark the water level at ‘0’, then drop five marbles, and mark the new water level.

Children can use this method to understand the concept of volume informally before moving on to more formal units of measurement like milliliters and cubic centimeters.

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Creating Your Measuring Glass

Students are encouraged to create their own measuring bottles by marking water levels using marbles. They can test their guesses about the volume of different objects, like balls, erasers, lemons, pencils, and potatoes. 

This hands-on activity helps children understand how to estimate and measure volumes using everyday objects.

Measuring Volume with Objects

In this section of the chapter “How Big? How Heavy?”, students are asked to compare the volume of various objects like coins, marbles, and everyday items using their measuring bottles. This activity solidifies their understanding of how different objects displace varying amounts of water and provides a relatable way to measure volume.

Example: If 9 five-rupee coins displace 10 mL of water, students can use this information to find the volume of six marbles or 16 one-rupee coins.

Measuring Volume with Cubes

Another way to measure volume, as mentioned in the chapter How Big? How Heavy? Is measuring volume with cubes. It starts with a question-

How Many Can Fit In?

The concept of volume is taken a step further with the introduction of centimeter cubes. 

Children are shown how to compare volumes by calculating how many centimeter cubes can fit into a given space, such as a Math-Magic book. They can even build platforms using matchboxes and measure their volume in cubic centimeters.

Activity: Students can collect empty matchboxes and create different models. They can then measure the sides and calculate the volume of their creations. This helps students grasp the abstract concept of volume in a tangible way.

With different aspects, we can measure the volume of Maths Magic Book.

We can also measure the volume of a matchbox, geometry box, and eraser in cm cubes.

Matchbox Play – Activity

Another activity given in the chapter How Big? How Heavy? is the matchbox play – activity. This involves-

• Tanu is making a stage with matchboxes. 
• She first puts 14 matchboxes like this in the first layer.
• She makes 4 such layers and her stage looks like this.

• The volume of one matchbox is the same as 10 cm cubes. Then the volume of this stage is the same as _____ cm cubes. 

Now we can compare, which has more volume — your Math-Magic book or Tanu’s platform?

In one more way, we can arrange matchboxes like this.

Creating Paper Cubes – Activity

In this part of the chapter “How Big? How Heavy?”, Children are guided on how to make a paper cube by folding paper into square shapes. 

This activity helps them understand the dimensions of a cube and how volume is calculated by multiplying the length, width, and height of an object.

Aanan and his friends are making a cube with paper. They cut a sheet of paper into a square side. They cut 6 such squares. 

Follow these photos to make your paper cube.

How Big is Your Cube?

Aman made a big cube having double the side of the paper cube. How many of your paper cubes will fit in it? 

Packing Cubes – A Fun Puzzle

In this part of the chapter, Ganesh and Dinga are packing 4000 cubes in boxes of various sizes. 

Look at Box A. In the first layer, we can arrange 20 × 10 = 200 cubes. And 6 such layers can be packed. So in box A we can arrange 200 × 6 = 1200 cubes.

Look at Box B. In the first layer, we can arrange 11 × 11 = 121 cubes. And 10 such layers can be packed. So in box A we can arrange 121 x 10 = 1210 cubes.

Look at Box C. In the first layer, we can arrange 15 × 9 = 135 cubes. And 10 such layers can be packed. So in box A we can arrange 135 × 10 = 1350 cubes.

This puzzle challenges students to figure out how many cubes fit into each box and helps them understand the importance of volume in real-life situations, such as packing and storage.

Which Pipe Fills More?

In this section of the chapter “How Big? How Heavy?”, students explore the concept of volume by comparing the capacities of different pipes. 

The goal is to understand which pipe can carry more water and to quantify the difference. By measuring and calculating the volume of water that different pipes can hold, students begin to grasp the relationship between the dimensions of an object (in this case, the pipe) and the volume it can contain.

Activity 

1. Collect some old postcards. You can also use thick paper of size 14 cm × 9 cm. 
2. Fold the postcard along to make pipe 1. Join the ends with cello tape.

3. Take another postcard and fold it along the length to make pipe 2. Join the ends with tape.
4. Guess which pipe can take more sand inside it. Hold it on a plate and pour sand to check your guess.

For example, if one pipe is longer or wider than another, it will carry more water. 

Students are encouraged to calculate the volume of pipes with different radii or diameters to see how size affects capacity. 

This comparison can be extended to real-world applications, such as understanding which pipe would be more efficient for carrying water to a field or a tank.

Trek to Gangotri

In the “Trek to Gangotri” activity, students of Class XII are tasked with carefully planning and packing their bags for a six-day trek. The focus is on packing light, using items that take up less space and weigh less, as they will be carrying their bags while climbing the mountains. 

The students learn the practical importance of reducing the volume and weight of food by drying items like onions and tomatoes, which significantly decreases their weight when the water content is removed. Each person’s food needs are calculated for six days, including rice, flour, pulses, oil, sugar, milk powder, and other essentials, with an emphasis on maintaining minimal weight. 

Through this exercise, students understand the significance of efficient packing and how small differences in weight can greatly impact the ease of carrying their bags during a strenuous trek.

How Heavy? – Exploring Weight

The concept of weight is introduced through interesting examples. Students learn about the weight of large objects like elephants and blue whales, as well as smaller everyday items like coins. They are encouraged to compare the weight of different objects and use their understanding to solve problems.

Shahid Saves the Bank!  Shahid, a bank cashier, weighs bags of coins instead of counting them. 

His method of calculating the weight of the coins is much simpler! A 5-rupee coin weighs 9 grams. Just give me the weight of the sack, and I’ll tell you how many coins are in it.

How to calculate

One kg is equal to 1000g, so 9 kg is equal to 9000 g. If one coin weighs 9 g, then the bag weighing 9000 g has 9000 ÷ 9 = 1000 coins in it. Easy!

Let’s Conclude

In conclusion, the chapter How Big? How Heavy? is an essential part of the Class 5th Math curriculum that lays the groundwork for understanding volume and weight. Through interactive activities and practical examples, students engage with concepts that are not only relevant to their studies but also applicable to their everyday lives.

The activities in How Big? How Heavy? Help students grasp the importance of measurement, whether they are creating measuring bottles, exploring volumes with cubes, or solving real-world puzzles. By emphasizing hands-on learning, this chapter ensures that students develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills, which are vital as they progress in their education.

Ultimately, How Big? How Heavy? Serves as a stepping stone for young learners, encouraging curiosity and a deeper understanding of mathematical concepts. With the resources provided by iPrep, students can confidently navigate this chapter and its themes, making their learning experience both enjoyable and enriching.