Balancing numbers 2

[No sound in the beginning. The Hulk is placed on one side of the balance and 4 bundles of 10 paddlepop sticks are placed on the other side. The scale begins to wobble.]

How many paddle pop sticks are needed to balance the mass of the Hulk?

What's an estimate that's way too high? What's an estimate that's way too low, and what's a reasonable estimate?

Over to you mathematicians to record your thoughts in your workbook.

Let's see, how many paddle pop sticks are needed to balance the mass of the Hulk?

5 tens is too heavy, 4 tens is too light. What would you do to solve this problem?

Share your thinking with a fellow mathematician or in your notebook and then revise your estimate.

How many paddle pop sticks are needed to balance the mass of the Hulk?

Over to you mathematicians!

[No sound in the beginning. The Hulk is placed on one side of the balance and 4 bundles of 10 paddlepop sticks are placed on the other side. The scale begins to wobble. When the 5th bundle is added the scale tips the other way. The 5th bundle is broken up and six individual paddle pop sticks are added. Then 15 small bears are added to one side of the balance and The Hulk is added to the other side and they balance. Then the bears are removed and 46 paddle pop sticks are added to balance The Hulk. Then The Hulk is removed and the bears are picked up and carried towards the scale.]

What do you think will happen to the balance scale?

Draw a picture to communicate your thinking.

[No sound at the beginning. The scale has 46 paddlepop sticks on one side. 15 bears are picked up and held above the other side of the scale. Then the bears are placed on the scale and it balances.]

What can we say about the mass of the Hulk, the collection of bears, and the collection of paddle pop sticks? Here's what they look like.

Record your thoughts in your maths book or on a piece of paper or share them with a fellow mathematician.

Over to you mathematicians!