Balance Equations - Up to 20
āļø Who broke the seesaw? There is a piece missing, and the equals sign is tipping over! Use your math weight to put the missing number in and balance both sides.
Concept
Equations with math on BOTH sides of the equals sign look scary, but they are just balancing puzzles. šÆ **The "Fix the Seesaw" Trick:** **Puzzle: 6 + 4 = ___ + 3** 1. **Solve the Solid Side:** Look at the side of the equals sign that has no blanks. The left side says "6 + 4". Let's solve it: 6 + 4 = 10. 2. **Find the Target:** Because the left side equals 10, the right side MUST ALSO equal 10 to balance the seesaw! 3. **Solve the Blank Side:** The right side says "___ + 3". We need that to equal 10. So, what + 3 = 10? The answer is 7! 4. **Action:** Put the 7 in the blank. **6 + 4 = 7 + 3**. Both sides equal 10! Balanced!
Try it
Balance the seesaws! **Instructions:** Solve the solid side first. Then figure out what number the blank side needs to match it perfectly! **Problem 1: 5 + 5 = ___ + 2** * Solve solid side (5+5): ___ * Target is 10! What plus 2 equals 10? * Answer: ___ **Problem 2: 12 - 4 = ___ + 1** * Solve solid side (12-4): ___ * Target is 8! What plus 1 equals 8? * Answer: ___ **Problem 3: 8 + 6 = 20 - ___** * Target is 14! 20 minus what equals 14? * Answer: ___ **Problem 4: ___ + 5 = 15 - 3** * Answer: ___