Volume vs Capacity
Volume and capacity are commonly interchanged in both meaning and use because of the correlation that exists between them. Whenever volume or capacity comes to mind, we know that it involves an object and the substance it contains. Since these two elements are essential to both volume and capacity, it is easy to assume that they are one and the same. But they are not.
Volume
Regardless of the state of matter involved (solid, liquid or gas), and whether or not there is actually an object in the container, volume only refers to the three-dimensional space an object occupies by itself. In other words, it points to the three-dimensional size of the object. It is determined as the product of the length, width and height of an object. It is also commonly measured in terms of cubic meters and cubic centimeters.
Capacity
Capacity, on the other hand, refers to the potential amount the container can hold or absorb a substance. It may have similarities in idea with volume, but it is still distinguishable. It concentrates more on how much a solid, liquid or gas can fit in a container. Capacity is measured in terms of liters, milliliters, pound, gallons, and the like.
Difference between volume and capacity
To illustrate more on the difference between volume and capacity, let us consider this example: The milk container has a capacity of 250ml of milk, while that container may have a volume of 300 cubic centimeters. Here, it is clear that the container has the potential to accommodate 250ml of milk while the container itself occupies 300 cubic centimeters of space. There is also another simple comparison between volume and capacity. With “capacity”, we say: The water gallon can hold up to 6 liters of water; while “volume” is like this: The plastic container expanded to double its volume after performing an experiment on it.
It may be confusing at first, but if we take a closer look at the explanation and understand, volume and capacity are actually two different things that should not be casually switched in meaning.
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In brief: • Volume is the three-dimensional space that a certain object takes up while capacity refers to how much a container or object can hold or accommodate. • Volume is measured mostly using cubic centimeter or cubic meters and can be determined by multiplying the object’s length, width and height; while capacity is measured by the liters, gallons, milliliters, etcetera depending on how much the container can accommodate. |
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