Balance Scale

Choose a mode

Read the weights on the cubes in the left pan and add them up. Add numbered weights to the right pan with the plus and minus buttons (1, 2, 5, 10) until the beam is level — when it is level, both sides are equal. Then press Check

3D math game · Best for grades 2-5

Balance Scale

Balance Scale shows what an equation means before students ever write one. The left pan holds mystery cubes; students add numbered weights (1, 2, 5, 10) to the right pan until the beam is exactly level. Because the two sides must be physically equal, the idea that both sides of an equation share the same value becomes concrete and undeniable.

What students practice

Balance Scale builds the foundational understanding of equality — that both sides of an equals sign must hold the same value. Students practice mental addition and decomposition while the visual feedback of a levelling beam makes each correct answer immediately satisfying.

  1. Read the numbered cubes stacked in the left pan and add up their total.
  2. Use the +/− buttons to add or remove weights (1, 2, 5, 10) in the right pan.
  3. Adjust until the beam is perfectly level — both pans hold the same total.
  4. Press Check once the scale is balanced.

How to use it at home or in class

The left pan holds cubes worth 3 + 7 + 5 = 15. Students add weights to the right: two 5s and one 10 give 20 — too heavy. Swap one 5 for nothing and add a 1 and a 2 to reach 15. The beam levels.

Students often overshoot and keep adding weights when the beam has already tipped past level. Learning to remove weights (decrease) is as important as adding, and the game requires both directions of adjustment.

Use it for individual practice, paired work, or a short class demonstration before worksheets.

Start with the game above, then continue with written practice to reinforce the skill.

Common questions

Which grade range is Balance Scale aimed at?
Grades 2–5, where students practise addition, mental arithmetic, and early equation concepts with increasing number sizes.
How is this different from Algebra Balance?
Balance Scale focuses on arithmetic: students calculate a total and replicate it with weights. Algebra Balance already starts balanced and challenges students to isolate an unknown by removing equal amounts — that is algebraic thinking, not arithmetic matching.
Can the right pan have multiple solutions?
Yes. There are many weight combinations that reach the same total, and the game accepts any correct combination — encouraging students to explore decomposition rather than find one fixed answer.