🔎 Volume in mathGrade 5Reading: grades 5-6Fractions of a numberMultiplicationOrder of operationsRounding
The Great Capacity Caper
An unknown thief has drained the master reservoir inside the high-tech Cubic Capacity Lab, leaving the entire facility bone dry! We must use our knowledge of three-dimensional space and liquid measurements to crack the clues and catch the culprit before the remaining reserves evaporate entirely.
Suspects
Possible suspects
Cross off a row as each clue rules it out. On screen, tap a row.
21 of 21 still in play
| Name | Measurement Mastery | Specialized Gear | Pouring Stance | Hair Residue | Defense Hazard |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Niels Bohr | beaker-breaking blast | graduated cylinder gun | pours with right hand | neon liquid green hair | solid iron stopper |
| Archimedes | prism-packing punch | graduated cylinder gun | pours with left hand | solid carbon black hair | solid iron stopper |
| Thomas Edison | beaker-breaking blast | milliliter magnifier | pours with left hand | solid carbon black hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Blaise Pascal | liquid-volume leaking | graduated cylinder gun | pours with left hand | solid carbon black hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Marie Curie | cubic-unit conjuring | cubic centimeter shield | pours with left hand | bubble blue hair | sponge of absorption |
| Daniel Bernoulli | cylinder-scaling beam | cubic centimeter shield | pours with left hand | bubble blue hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Ada Lovelace | prism-packing punch | liter launcher | pours with left hand | solid carbon black hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Benjamin Franklin | cylinder-scaling beam | density disruptor drone | pours with left hand | neon liquid green hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Grace Hopper | liquid-volume leaking | density disruptor drone | pours with right hand | solid carbon black hair | sponge of absorption |
| Sally Ride | liquid-volume leaking | cubic centimeter shield | pours with left hand | solid carbon black hair | sponge of absorption |
| Stephen Hawking | liquid-volume leaking | cubic centimeter shield | pours with right hand | bubble blue hair | sponge of absorption |
| Albert Einstein | liquid-volume leaking | milliliter magnifier | pours with left hand | neon liquid green hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Jane Goodall | prism-packing punch | graduated cylinder gun | pours with right hand | bubble blue hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Gregor Mendel | prism-packing punch | liter launcher | pours with left hand | neon liquid green hair | sponge of absorption |
| Rosalind Franklin | cubic-unit conjuring | liter launcher | pours with left hand | solid carbon black hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Charles Darwin | cubic-unit conjuring | liter launcher | pours with left hand | neon liquid green hair | solid iron stopper |
| Galileo Galilei | cylinder-scaling beam | graduated cylinder gun | pours with left hand | solid carbon black hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Alan Turing | prism-packing punch | density disruptor drone | pours with left hand | solid carbon black hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Rachel Carson | cubic-unit conjuring | milliliter magnifier | pours with right hand | solid carbon black hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Louis Pasteur | liquid-volume leaking | cubic centimeter shield | pours with right hand | solid carbon black hair | spill-proof funnel |
| Nikola Tesla | cubic-unit conjuring | cubic centimeter shield | pours with left hand | bubble blue hair | spill-proof funnel |
Clue 1
Fractions of a number
The culprit drained a fractional portion of the liquid storage tanks. Calculate the exact fraction of the total liters remaining to discover a clue about the thief's gear.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
T
10
17
26
T
10
17
8
26
20
3
16
26
39
19
16
T
10
40
39
26
T
10
17
26
31
8
T
10
26
6
31
7
40
19
37
17
26
6
4/6 of 15 =T
2/5 of 65 =E
2/3 of 30 =F
2/8 of 68 =H
1/3 of 93 =L
1/2 of 6 =D
1/10 of 190 =N
4/8 of 32 =O
4/8 of 80 =U
1/3 of 111 =C
4/8 of 14 =A
1/2 of 12 =R
2/6 of 117 =S
2/4 of 16 =I
0/14 letters found
Clue 2
Multiplication facts (1-12)
To measure the total capacity of the storage grid, we must multiply the number of box containers by the volume of each cube. Doing so reveals a physical trace of the villain.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
L
16
132
28
54
36
20
5
81
132
81
L
16
9
10
6
9
81
40
144
L
16
20
40
36
132
40
25
132
3
132
81
132
54
132
11
54
132
81
4 × 4 =L
9 × 9 =D
12 × 11 =E
6 × 1 =U
10 × 1 =Q
1 × 9 =I
1 × 3 =R
5 × 5 =W
6 × 6 =H
6 × 9 =T
1 × 5 =N
12 × 12 =P
5 × 8 =S
11 × 1 =C
5 × 4 =A
4 × 7 =F
0/16 letters found
Clue 3
Order of operations
The lab's electronic valves must be shut off in a precise sequence using the order of operations. Solve this formula to pinpoint the weakness of our runaway suspect.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
A
43
46
20
72
66
66
20
29
57
57
51
51
17
28
28
37
66
34
66
57
58
59
37
30
14
39
37
37
46
58
A
43
20
37
6 × 8 - 5 =A
66 + 2 × 3 =I
17 + 4 × 5 =E
9 × 5 - 15 =D
12 + 5 × 9 =O
10 × 6 - 2 =C
2 × 11 - 8 =T
10 + 8 × 7 =L
31 + 4 × 5 =F
4 × 7 - 11 =U
8 × 4 - 4 =N
10 × 6 - 26 =B
23 + 3 × 2 =R
41 + 2 × 9 =K
5 × 12 - 14 =S
2 + 9 × 2 =P
8 × 7 - 17 =H
0/17 letters found
Clue 4
Rounding
The digital scale only displays rounded values for the heavy liquid barrels. Round the total cubic centimeters to the nearest thousand to unlock the hair analysis file.
Solve each problem to learn its letter. Then write that letter in every box that shows the same number, and read the secret clue.
A
1700
3700
110
500
230
700
9000
A
1700
1300
5000
110
2300
5000
500
A
1700
9000
200
7000
A
1700
230
1300
130
A
1700
3700
230
2300
2000
7000
30
900
290
2300
2300
30
500
Round 1,675 to the nearest hundredA
Round 289 to the nearest tenU
Round 5,292 to the nearest thousandB
Round 114 to the nearest tenO
Round 130 to the nearest tenW
Round 1,837 to the nearest thousandT
Round 229 to the nearest tenI
Round 7,297 to the nearest thousandH
Round 8,835 to the nearest thousandC
Round 515 to the nearest hundredL
Round 218 to the nearest hundredK
Round 2,330 to the nearest hundredN
Round 737 to the nearest hundredD
Round 1,344 to the nearest hundredR
Round 34 to the nearest tenE
Round 938 to the nearest hundredF
Round 3,745 to the nearest hundredS
0/17 letters found
Clue 5
Fractions of a number — the last clue
Only a small fraction of the spill-zone has been cleaned by our drone fleet. Solve for the remaining fraction of the volume to reveal the suspect's physical pouring stance.
First solve each problem. Then find each answer in the list below and cross that sentence out. One sentence will be left — that's exactly what the villain did!
Step 1 — solve these
2/6 of 15 = ?
6/10 of 15 = ?
1/10 of 70 = ?
2/4 of 2 = ?
4/8 of 12 = ?
2/8 of 32 = ?
1/10 of 100 = ?
5/10 of 24 = ?
2/4 of 6 = ?
3/6 of 8 = ?
1/6 of 12 = ?
Step 2 — cross out the sentence with each answer
1.The villain conjured towering stacks of cubic units, then escaped using a fast density disruptor.
2.The villain drained the giant graduated cylinder, then escaped using a fast density disruptor.
3.The villain shrank the water reservoir three levels, then escaped using a fast density disruptor.
4.The villain shattered the master volumetric flask, then vanished using a graduated cylinder gun.
5.The villain shrank the water reservoir three levels, then zoomed away in a milliliter magnifier.
6.The villain shattered the master volumetric flask, then fled behind a cubic centimeter shield.
7.The villain shattered the master volumetric flask, then escaped using a fast density disruptor.
8.The villain drained the giant graduated cylinder, then zoomed away in a milliliter magnifier.
9.The villain drained the giant graduated cylinder, then vanished using a graduated cylinder gun.
10.The villain conjured towering stacks of cubic units, then vanished using a graduated cylinder gun.
11.The villain scrambled the laboratory beaker markings, then vanished using a graduated cylinder gun.
12.The villain shattered the master volumetric flask, then zoomed away in a milliliter magnifier.
Solve it
Name the culprit
Choose the one suspect left standing.
Answer Key — The Great Capacity Caper
Culprit: Galileo Galilei (cylinder-scaling beam · graduated cylinder gun · pours with left hand · solid carbon black hair · spill-proof funnel)
- Clue 1 (Fractions of a number): "THE THIEF DOES NOT USE THE LITER LAUNCHER"4/6 of 15 = 10 (T) · 2/5 of 65 = 26 (E) · 2/3 of 30 = 20 (F) · 2/8 of 68 = 17 (H) · 1/3 of 93 = 31 (L) · 1/2 of 6 = 3 (D) · 1/10 of 190 = 19 (N) · 4/8 of 32 = 16 (O) · 4/8 of 80 = 40 (U) · 1/3 of 111 = 37 (C) · 4/8 of 14 = 7 (A) · 1/2 of 12 = 6 (R) · 2/6 of 117 = 39 (S) · 2/4 of 16 = 8 (I)
- Clue 2 (Multiplication facts (1-12)): "LEFT HANDED LIQUID SPLASHES WERE DETECTED"4 × 4 = 16 (L) · 9 × 9 = 81 (D) · 12 × 11 = 132 (E) · 6 × 1 = 6 (U) · 10 × 1 = 10 (Q) · 1 × 9 = 9 (I) · 1 × 3 = 3 (R) · 5 × 5 = 25 (W) · 6 × 6 = 36 (H) · 6 × 9 = 54 (T) · 1 × 5 = 5 (N) · 12 × 12 = 144 (P) · 5 × 8 = 40 (S) · 11 × 1 = 11 (C) · 5 × 4 = 20 (A) · 4 × 7 = 28 (F)
- Clue 3 (Order of operations): "A SPILL PROOF FUNNEL BLOCKED THE ESCAPE"6 × 8 - 5 = 43 (A) · 66 + 2 × 3 = 72 (I) · 17 + 4 × 5 = 37 (E) · 9 × 5 - 15 = 30 (D) · 12 + 5 × 9 = 57 (O) · 10 × 6 - 2 = 58 (C) · 2 × 11 - 8 = 14 (T) · 10 + 8 × 7 = 66 (L) · 31 + 4 × 5 = 51 (F) · 4 × 7 - 11 = 17 (U) · 8 × 4 - 4 = 28 (N) · 10 × 6 - 26 = 34 (B) · 23 + 3 × 2 = 29 (R) · 41 + 2 × 9 = 59 (K) · 5 × 12 - 14 = 46 (S) · 2 + 9 × 2 = 20 (P) · 8 × 7 - 17 = 39 (H)
- Clue 4 (Rounding): "A SOLID CARBON BLACK HAIR WAS IN THE FUNNEL"Round 1,675 to the nearest hundred = 1700 (A) · Round 289 to the nearest ten = 290 (U) · Round 5,292 to the nearest thousand = 5000 (B) · Round 114 to the nearest ten = 110 (O) · Round 130 to the nearest ten = 130 (W) · Round 1,837 to the nearest thousand = 2000 (T) · Round 229 to the nearest ten = 230 (I) · Round 7,297 to the nearest thousand = 7000 (H) · Round 8,835 to the nearest thousand = 9000 (C) · Round 515 to the nearest hundred = 500 (L) · Round 218 to the nearest hundred = 200 (K) · Round 2,330 to the nearest hundred = 2300 (N) · Round 737 to the nearest hundred = 700 (D) · Round 1,344 to the nearest hundred = 1300 (R) · Round 34 to the nearest ten = 30 (E) · Round 938 to the nearest hundred = 900 (F) · Round 3,745 to the nearest hundred = 3700 (S)
- Clue 5 (Fractions of a number): surviving statement (box 11) → Galileo Galilei2/6 of 15 = 5 · 6/10 of 15 = 9 · 1/10 of 70 = 7 · 2/4 of 2 = 1 · 4/8 of 12 = 6 · 2/8 of 32 = 8 · 1/10 of 100 = 10 · 5/10 of 24 = 12 · 2/4 of 6 = 3 · 3/6 of 8 = 4 · 1/6 of 12 = 2
About this mystery
- Grade level
- Grade 5 math
- Math topics
- Fractions of a number, Multiplication, Order of operations, Rounding
- Reading level
- grades 5-6
- Theme
- The Great Capacity Caper — set in The Cubic Capacity Lab
- Format
- Interactive online & printable worksheet with answer key
- Solution
- One unique, verified culprit among 21 suspects