Class 2 weight and capacity: grams, kilograms and litres
Weight and capacity bring maths into the kitchen and the market. In Class 2, children weigh things in grams and kilograms, measure liquids in litres, and compare which is heavier, lighter, more or less.
These are ideas children already half-know from watching a vegetable seller's scale or a jug being filled. The job of Class 2 is to attach the right words and units to that everyday experience, and to compare amounts sensibly.
What your child needs to know
- Weigh objects in grams (g) and kilograms (kg)
- Know that 1 kilogram is the same as 1000 grams
- Measure how much a container holds in litres (l)
- Compare weights and capacities — heavier, lighter, more, less
- Choose a sensible unit for an object
Worked examples
Two 500 g bags of flour are put together. How much do they weigh?
Hint — add the two weights, then check if it makes a kilogram.
500 g + 500 g = 1000 g, and 1000 g is the same as 1 kilogram.
Which is heavier, 2 kg or 1500 g?
Hint — turn the kilograms into grams so both are in the same unit.
2 kg is 2000 g. Since 2000 g is more than 1500 g, 2 kg is heavier.
A bottle holds 2 litres of water. You pour out 1 litre. How much is left?
Hint — "poured out" means take it away.
2 litres − 1 litre = 1 litre is left in the bottle.
A basket has 3 kg of apples and 2 kg of oranges. What is the total weight?
Hint — add the two weights, keeping the unit.
3 kg + 2 kg = 5 kg of fruit altogether.
How Olympiads test this
At Class 2, Olympiads such as SOF IMO and CREST CMO usually show weight with balance-scale pictures — which side goes down — and capacity with jugs and glasses. They ask for simple comparisons and totals, and sometimes which unit fits an object. Weighing and pouring real things at home is the best preparation; the exact questions in any exam can never be foretold.
Practice questions
Show 5 practice questions and answers
- How many grams are there in 1 kilogram? — 1000 g
- Which is lighter, 250 g or 700 g? — 250 g
- A bucket holds 5 litres. 2 litres are poured out. How much is left? — 3 litres
- What is the total weight of two 1 kg packets? — 2 kg
- Would you weigh a spoon of sugar in grams or kilograms? — grams
Inside Talyzo: World 6, Transport
Weight and capacity is World 6, themed around transport — loading trucks, filling tankers, balancing loads. As in every world, each question gives a hint before the answer and a full explanation after, so grams, kilograms and litres become tools a child can use, not words to memorise.
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