Grade
5

Mobile Math: 14 & 20

Look at the mobile below. What do you notice? What do you wonder? What do you know?

A balanced mobile has 2 strings and a total value of 14. The left string has 3 blue squares. The right string has 2 orange circles and 3 green hexagons. The shape values are unknown.

What is one set of possible values for the shapes?

  • If a circle has a value of 2, and the whole mobile is still 14, what would the value of the other shapes be? How do you know?
  • If the hexagon has a value of 1 ½, and the whole mobile is still 14, what would the value of the other shapes be? How do you know?

What are other possible values for the set of shapes if the total value is still 14? What patterns or rules do you notice?

If the total value of the mobile was 20 instead of 14, what is one possible set of values for the shapes?

Printable Version

Google doc for printing and copying

Reference for Educators

Sample problems and solutions