Customary Units of Capacity

Benchmarks are the measurements that can be used to estimate the capacity of other objects

An ounce is a very small unit of measurement which is used to measure the spoonful measures. A cup is about 8 times the capacity of an ounce. The benchmark used for a cup is a small glass of juice or a coffee cup

A pint is about twice the size of a cup and is just about the size of a small ice cream container

A quart is a relatively large unit of measurement and the benchmark used for a quart is a large measuring cup

A gallon is a big unit of measurement and is just about the size of a large container of milk

We use the following conversion factors to convert between the various units of capacity:

1 cup = 8 ounces
1 pint = 2 cups
1 quart = 2 pints
1 gallon = 4 quarts

To convert a smaller unit to a bigger unit, divide the smaller unit by the conversion factor

To convert a bigger unit to a smaller unit, multiply the bigger unit with the conversion factor

We can also use the method of proportion to convert one unit to another. One of the ratios (used in the proportion) is the conversion factor

To compare or perform calculations on the measurements in various units, we need to express the various measurements in a common unit

The various conversion factors used are:
1 cup = 8 ounces
1 pint = 2 cups
1 quart = 2 pints
1 gallon = 4 quarts