Mobile Math: 14 & 20

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

This mobile has a total value of 14 and is balanced between 2 strings. The left string has 3 squares. The right string has 2 circles and 3 hexagons. The shape values are unknown.

What is one set of possible values for the shapes?

Getting Started

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

Follow-up 1

What are other possible values for the set of shapes if the total value is 14?

Follow-up 2

The total value of the mobile is now 20. If all shapes have values that are fractions or mixed-numbers, what is one possible set of values for the shapes?

Printable Version

Reference for Educators