Measuring Weights Using a Simple Balance
4 Minutes
Measuring weights with a simple balance for kids: learn how a two-pan scale compares heavy and light objects. A short maths lesson in English.
- Meeting Sakti, a spirit trapped inside an old scale
- King Mai inventing a two-pan scale to weigh objects
- How the pans move for heavy, light, and equal weights
What this lesson teaches
A balance scale is a measuring machine with two plates or pans used to compare the weights of objects. It shows whether an item is heavy or light compared to another, or whether both items have the exact same weight.
How a two-pan scale works
- Objects are placed on both plates or pans of the balance scale.
- The plate holding the heavier object will go down.
- The plate holding the lighter object will rise or stay up.
- When two objects weigh the exact same amount, both plates stay balanced.
Why the scale was invented
In the spirit village of Boothar, located beyond a big mountain and forest, King Mai was the strongest spirit. The king loved heavy things and always lifted items with both hands to pick the heaviest one whenever he bought something. After hurting his hand, it became very hard for him to lift things to check their weight. To solve this problem, the king invented the two-pan scale to take the place of his hands and ordered all the villagers to use it.
Measuring different kinds of items
While a balance scale compares objects directly, many different types of special weighing machines are designed for specific tasks. Large and heavy goods, like big sacks of rice and huge sacks of sugar, require special weighing machines. Very small and valuable items, such as rings and pieces of jewelry, also have special weighing machines designed specifically for measuring them.
The story of Sakti the spirit
The king loved his favorite ornate scale so much that it became the most important symbol of Boothar village. One quiet afternoon while the king was fast asleep, a spirit named Sakti accidentally pushed the delicate scale down and shattered it into pieces. To punish Sakti, the angry king locked the spirit inside the broken scale for many years.