Capacity

“Let’s welcome our next bakers to the competition." "Straight from the landfill... it's Zuri and Freddie!!!" “Tell us what you will be baking.” “We will be making a triple berry cake in the shape of our van.” “Wow! That DOES look EXTREME!” “ Ok, bakers, you have seven hours and all the supplies you need." “ Your time begins NOW” In order to make the most extreme cake, Zuri and Freddie will need to know the customary units of “Capacity”. Capacity is the amount that a container CAN hold. It is a word we use to describe when the space is empty. In the United States, we call these measurements the customary units of capacity... such as fluid ounces... cups... pints... quarts... and gallons. The measurement used depends on the size of the container needed. As we need to hold more in a container,... we change the unit of measurement. We use these units of measurement in many parts of life... However, cooking or baking are the most common places you will see these measurements used. Let's take a look in at Zuri and Freddie's cake baking skills to help us understand the measurements. The smallest unit of measurement is fluid ounces. We use this unit to measure liquids that we need a very little amount of. The vanilla and food coloring would be measured in fluid ounces... and contained in tablespoons or in droppers. Once we need more than eight fluid ounces, we use a container that can hold a greater amount or has a higher capacity. This unit is called a cup. The cup is the most commonly used unit of measurement for capacity. In recipes, when we need items like milk and cooking oil, we use cups to contain our ingredients. We can fill the cup many times when we need several units. As the amounts of ingredients increase, our units of capacity continue to change. The next unit is called a pint. A pint is the same amount as two cups. Berries come in a container called a pint. Quarts are the next unit we use for capacity. Quarts are used when need to hold the same amount as two pints or four cups. A mixing bowl and a baking pan are measured in quarts. The largest unit for capacity is called gallons. Gallons are used when we need to hold the equivalent amount of four quarts. Larger quantities of milk come in gallons. With only seconds left in the competition, let's review the customary units of measurement. Remember... capacity is the word used to describe the most a container can hold. We have different measurements for capacity depending on the size. In the United States, we call these measurements the customary units of capacity. These units are... fluid ounces... cups... pints... quarts... and gallons. "BAKERS, YOUR TIME IS UP!" "Let's take a look at your results!!"