Understanding Balance and Equality

What happens when you and another child of the same weight sit on opposite sides of a seesaw?

• The seesaw will not move at all.

• The seesaw will be balanced.

• The seesaw will tip to one side.

• The seesaw will break.

If you place one baseball on each side of a balanced scale, what can you say about the two sides?

• The scale will tip over.

• The left side is heavier.

• Both sides are equal.

• The right side is heavier.

What happens to the scale if you put one baseball on the left and three on the right?

• The scale will remain balanced.

• The scale will break.

• The right side will go down.

• The left side will go down.

How can you balance a scale with five baseballs on the left and four on the right?

• Add one more baseball to the right.

• Remove one baseball from the left.

• Add two baseballs to the right.

• Remove two baseballs from the left.

What is another way to balance the scale with five baseballs on the left and four on the right?

• Remove two baseballs from the right.

• Add two baseballs to the right.

• Remove one baseball from the left.

• Add one baseball to the left.

If 7 equals 4 plus 4, is this equation correct?

• No, because 7 is not equal to 8.

• Yes, because 7 is equal to 8.

• Yes, because 4 plus 4 is 7.

• No, because 4 plus 4 is 6.

Jenny picks 10 cherries and Eric picks 9. How many more cherries does Eric need to pick to have the same number as Jenny?

• One more cherry.

• Three more cherries.

• Two more cherries.

• No more cherries.

What is the missing number in the equation 20 minus what number equals 13 plus 3?

• 5

• 3

• 4

• 6

What does the equal sign indicate in an equation?

• That one side is heavier.

• That both sides are different.

• That both sides have the same amount.

• That one side is lighter.

What should you do if the left side of an equation is not equal to the right side?

• Add more to the right side.

• Use the equal sign anyway.

• Cross out the equal sign.

• Add more to the left side.