Measuring Mass with a Triple Beam Balance

• Science
• 5th Grade

Measuring Mass with a Triple Beam Balance

Learning Objective

I will be able to measure the mass of different objects in grams using a triple beam balance.

Explain to the students the main objective of the lesson and what they will be able to do by the end.

What do you already know about measuring mass?

Classifying Objects

In this activity, you will be given a set of objects and asked to identify them based off their physical properties.

1. On ONE Chromebook spin the wheel to see which physical property your team lands on.
2. Find the object made out of this material.
3. Collaborate (discuss nicely) with your team, being sure to let everyone have a turn to justify their answers.

Engage students in a hands-on activity where they can practice classifying objects based on their physical properties. Provide a variety of objects with different physical properties for them to sort.

What is mass?

Mass is the amount of matter an object contains.

Introduce the concept of mass and its definition to the students.

What is mass?

1. The amount of matter an object contains.
2. The size of an object.
3. The weight of an object.
4. The color of an object.

Triple Beam Balance

A triple beam balance is a tool used to measure the mass of objects. It has three beams with sliding weights.

Explain what a triple beam balance is and how it is used to measure mass.

What is a triple beam balance used for?

1. Measuring the temperature of objects
2. Measuring the length of objects
3. Measuring the mass of objects
4. Measuring the volume of objects

Practice Time!

Now it's time to practice! Measure the mass of ten different objects using the triple beam balance.  Record your data on the next slide under the MASS column.  Make sure to record mass using 'g' for grams.

Engage students in a hands-on activity where they can apply their knowledge and practice measuring mass.

Items	Mass- grams
Cork stopper- cork
Lego-plastic
Nail- iron
Donut Ring- Rubber
Dish Sponge- sponge
Packaging- styrofoam
Stick- wood
Sugar Cube- sugar
Penny- cooper
Cotton ball- cotton

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Write down 2 things you learned in this lesson that can help your design team with The Cooler Project.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 1 idea your design team has brainstormed for The Cooler Project using today's mass lab data.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you don't understand yet about classifying mass.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.