Mathematics

Volume of Liquid

The most common mistakes Singapore primary students make in Volume of Liquid, distilled from 73+ MOE-aligned questions across P2, P3, P5. Free practice at every level.

From the question bank

Top 10 mistakes in Volume of Liquid

  1. #1Partial logic

    Divided 15 by 5 to get 3 but stopped there, forgetting to multiply by 3. Finding 1/5 of 15 is only the first step — the answer is 3/5, so multiply 3 by 3.

    Seen in 1 question

  2. #2Calc error

    Found 1/5 of 15 correctly (15 ÷ 5 = 3), then multiplied by 2 instead of 3, giving 6. The numerator of the fraction is 3, not 2.

    Seen in 1 question

  3. #3Misconception

    Subtracted 3 from 15 to get 12, thinking '3/5 full' means '3 litres less than full'. The fraction 3/5 means 3 out of every 5 equal parts, not 3 litres subtracted.

    Seen in 1 question

  4. #4Misconception

    Mass of a teaspoon — too little for a pail.

    Seen in 1 question

  5. #5Misconception

    Half a litre — a drink bottle, not a pail.

    Seen in 1 question

  6. #6Calc error

    The student counted only 1 small division above the 200 ml mark. Each division = 25 ml, so 1 division above 200 ml gives 200 + 25 = 225 ml. The water is at the 3rd division: 200 + 3 × 25 = 275 ml.

    Seen in 1 question

  7. #7Calc error

    The student counted only 2 small divisions above the 200 ml mark instead of 3. Each division = 25 ml, so 2 divisions above 200 ml gives 200 + 50 = 250 ml. The water level is at the 3rd division: 200 + 75 = 275 ml.

    Seen in 1 question

  8. #8Misconception

    The student read the nearest labelled mark (300 ml) without counting the smaller divisions between 200 ml and 300 ml. Each small division between 200 ml and 250 ml represents 25 ml, and the water is 3 divisions above 200 ml, giving 200 + 75 = 275 ml.

    Seen in 1 question

  9. #9Misconception

    Treated 2 L as only 1 L (forgetting the bottle holds 2 L, not 1 L): 1000 + 450 = 1450 ml, then made a small slip 1500 - 1450 = 50 ml. Used the wrong number of litres.

    Seen in 1 question

  10. #10Calc error

    Forgot to add the 450 ml part of the bottle volume: used 2 L = 2000 ml only, then mis-subtracted 2000 - 1500 = 500, mis-recorded as 550.

    Seen in 1 question

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