Chapter 8 — Weigh It, Pour It

Chapter 8 of the Class 4 Mathematics NCERT textbook (Maths Mela), "Weigh It, Pour It", introduces students to measuring weight in grams and kilograms and capacity in millilitres and litres through hands-on activities, real-life stories, and estimation exercises. Students explore how units relate (500 g = ½ kg, 250 ml = ¼ litre) and practise using weighing balances and measuring containers. Download the PDF and read a summary and Q&A below.

• Measuring Weight: Grams and Kilograms — The chapter builds on Grade 3 knowledge by deepening students' understanding of weight units — grams (g) and kilograms (kg). Activities show that 2 packets of 500 g equal 1 kg, 4 packets of 250 g equal 1 kg, and 10 packets of 100 g equal 1 kg. Students also use a weighing balance to estimate and verify weights of everyday objects like bananas, potatoes, and tomatoes.
• Estimating and Comparing Weights — Students estimate weights before measuring, placing objects in 'less than 1 kg' or 'more than 1 kg' categories. A 'Boxes of Sweet' activity (Mr Shrinathan's Kaju-katli orders) asks how many 500 g, 250 g, 100 g, or 50 g boxes are needed to pack exactly 1 kg. A matching activity links familiar objects — a leaf, a pen, a cat, a tiger, an elephant — to their estimated weight ranges.
• Measuring Capacity: Millilitres and Litres — The second half of the chapter covers liquid capacity. Students discover that 500 ml + 500 ml = 1 litre, 4 × 250 ml = 1 litre, and 10 × 100 ml = 1 litre. Practical exercises involve filling a 1-litre bottle using smaller bottles and counting how many 10 ml doses fit into 100 ml, 250 ml, or 500 ml vessels.
• Water Conservation and Real-Life Contexts — The chapter closes with a water conservation activity: students place a container under a dripping tap for an hour and calculate how much water is wasted in a day and a week. Students also explore everyday liquid quantities — eye drops (less than 1 ml), cough syrup, cooking oil — and investigate how much water different activities (showering, watering crops, washing clothes) consume.

1. 01500 g = ½ kg; 250 g = ¼ kg; 100 g = 1/10 kg — core weight equivalences taught in this chapter
2. 021000 ml = 1 litre; 500 ml = ½ litre; 250 ml = ¼ litre — key capacity equivalences
3. 03Estimation is practised before actual measurement using a weighing balance or measuring containers
4. 04The 'Boxes of Sweet' problem (Mr Shrinathan's Kaju-katli) teaches partitioning 1 kg into equal smaller weights
5. 05A matching activity links objects (leaf, pen, cat, tiger, elephant) to weight ranges from 1 g–5 g up to more than 1000 kg
6. 06Students measure tiny volumes (1 ml dropper, 10 ml dosing cup) and large volumes (bucket, jug) to build number sense
7. 07Mirabai Chanu's 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medal (202 kg total lift in the 49 kg category) is featured as an inspiring fact
8. 08A water-conservation activity measures water lost from a dripping tap per hour, day, and week