Measuring mass and weight · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Measuring how heavy things are

Mathematics · Measurement · ages 5-6
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. These equal-mass cubes balance a teddy bear. Count them to record its mass in cubes.

    Answer: ______________

  2. Two objects keep an equal-arm balance level after it started empty and level. Their masses are equal.

    Circle one:   True   False

  3. Before weighing a toy, you check the empty scale set to grams. What number should it show when it is ready to weigh?

    Answer: ______________

  4. A ball balances 2 cubes. A box balances 5 cubes. All these cubes have equal mass. Which object is heavier?

    ?
    • The ball
    • The box
    • They weigh the same

  5. The same scale reads Tin A as 8 g and Tin B as 5 g. Which tin is heavier?

    • The units cannot be compared
    • Tin A
    • Tin B
    • Both tins have equal mass

  6. A toy balances 7 equal-mass cubes. Three cubes are red and four are blue. Sam records only the red cubes. How many cubes should he record altogether?

    Answer: ______________

  7. A toy balances 5 equal-mass cubes. Another toy has exactly the same mass. How many of those cubes will balance the second toy?

    Answer: ______________

  8. Using the same equal-mass cubes, a cup alone balances 3 cubes. A box alone balances 4 cubes. Together they balance 7 cubes. How many cubes should you record for the cup alone?

    Answer: ______________

  9. Ben thinks the heavier object's pan goes up on an equal-arm balance that started level. What happens instead?

    • The heavier object's pan goes down
    • Both pans always go down together
    • The heavier object's pan goes up

  10. Mia uses cubes of 1 g for one object and cubes of 2 g for another. She compares only the cube counts as if the units were equal. That is a fair mass comparison.

    Circle one:   True   False

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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Measuring how heavy things are W1-mt_zd0YkB3xNj-s1

  1. 6 · There are 6 cubes, so record 6 cubes.
  2. True · Level pans on this balance show equal mass.
  3. 0 · An empty scale should show 0 before the toy is added.
  4. The box · The box needs more equal-mass cubes to balance, so it is heavier.
  5. Tin A · The units match and 8 is greater than 5, so Tin A is heavier.
  6. 7 · All the measuring cubes count: 3 red cubes and 4 blue cubes make 7 cubes.
  7. 5 · Equal toy masses balance the same number of the same cubes: 5 cubes.
  8. 3 · Use the cup-alone measurement, which is 3 cubes.
  9. The heavier object's pan goes down · The heavier object's pan goes down and the lighter object's pan goes up.
  10. False · The cube units have different masses. Their counts cannot be compared as equal-mass units.
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