Balancing Act

Balancing Act Screenshot
  • Balance
  • Proportional Reasoning
  • Torque
Java Logo Original Sim and Translations

Topics

  • Balance
  • Proportional Reasoning
  • Torque
  • Lever Arm
  • Rotational Equilibrium

Description

Play with objects on a teeter totter to learn about balance. Test what you've learned by trying the Balance Challenge game.

Sample Learning Goals

  • Predict how objects of various masses can be used to make a plank balance.
  • Predict how changing the positions of the masses on the plank will affect the motion of the plank.
  • Write rules to predict which way a plank will tilt when objects are placed on it.
  • Use your rules to solve puzzles about balancing.

Standards Alignment

Common Core - Math

6.RP.A.3
Use ratio and rate reasoning to solve real-world and mathematical problems, e.g., by reasoning about tables of equivalent ratios, tape diagrams, double number line diagrams, or equations.
Version 1.1.24

Teacher Tips

Download teacher tips PDF Overview of sim controls, model simplifications, and insights into student thinking ( PDF ).

Teacher-Submitted Activities

Games Remote Lesson ideas A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein K-5
UG-Intro
MS
HS
HW
Remote
Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
Balancing Act Remote Lab A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein K-5
UG-Intro
MS
HS
Lab
HW
Remote
Physics
Mathematics
Concept questions for Physics using PhET (Inquiry Based) A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein HS
UG-Intro
MC Physics
Balancing Act Inquiry A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Ariel Paul MS Lab Physics
How do PhET simulations fit in my middle school program? This contribution was designed by PhET. Sarah Borenstein MS Other Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Earth Science
Alignment of PhET sims with NGSS This contribution was designed by PhET. Trish Loeblein updated by Diana López MS
HS
Other Biology
Earth Science
Physics
Chemistry
Balancing torques & Finding unknown masses Arooj Mukarram HS
UG-Intro
Remote
HW
Lab
Physics
Equilibrium Conditions Dr Akhlaq Ahmad UG-Intro
K-5
MS
HS
Lab
HW
Physics
Mapping of PhET and IBDP Physics Jaya Ramchandani HS Other Physics
MS and HS TEK to Sim Alignment Elyse Zimmer MS
HS
Other Physics
Biology
Chemistry
Balancing Act SK Gupta, Chaithra Navada, Sanjana Acharya HS Lab Physics
Poluga i primjene poluge Anita Sečan MS Guided Physics
Student Guide for PhET - Balancing Act in html5 Brian Libby MS
HS
HW
Guided
Physics
Rotational Equilibrium Simulation HW Amy Carpinelli HS HW Physics
Investigation Into Static Equilibrium Beau Dodson HS HW
Lab
Guided
Physics
balance mrwin lee MS Guided Biology
Balancing act 1 Witold Ferens MS
HS
HW
Guided
Physics
Basic Moments Ang Whitlam MS
HS
Guided Physics
Explorando el equilibrio A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Loeblein (tradicción Diana López) UG-Intro
HS
MS
HW
Lab
Guided
Remote
Physics
Mathematics
Preguntas de razonamiento para todas las simulaciones HTML5 A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López MS
Grad
K-5
UG-Intro
HS
UG-Adv
HW
Discuss
Physics
Chemistry
Mathematics
Astronomy
Das Hebelgesetz entdecken mit der Simulation Balanceakt A gold star indicates high-quality, inquiry-based activities that follow the PhET design guidelines. Vroni Retzer MS Guided
Lab
HW
Physics
SECUNDARIA: Alineación PhET con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López MS
HS
Other Biology
Physics
Mathematics
Chemistry
PREPARATORIA: Alineación de PhET con programas de la DGB México (2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López UG-Intro
HS
Other Mathematics
Physics
Chemistry
PRIMARIA: Alineación con programas de la SEP México (2011 y 2017) This contribution was designed by PhET. Diana López K-5
MS
HW
Lab
Guided
Discuss
Demo
Astronomy
Mathematics
Chemistry
Physics
Llei de la palanca Jordi Plana MS HW Physics
Zakon poluge Karmen Prugovečki MS Guided Physics
Balanceren Roland Van Kerschaver Other
K-5
MS
Guided Physics
Balancing Act SK Gupta, Chaithra Navada, Sanjana Acharya HS Lab Physics
Equilibrando grandezas e medidas Juliana Batista; Marilei Alves; Valmir Rodrigues MS Guided Mathematics
Brincando com o equilíbrio Rômulo Anderson MS Lab
Demo
Physics
Estática (Atividades) nos OA's do PhET Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales MS
HS
UG-Intro
Other
Other
Discuss
HW
Demo
Guided
Earth Science
Physics
Other
Centro de Massa no "Balancing Act (HTML5)" Artur Araújo Cavalcante e Gilvandenys Leite Sales HS
MS
Other
Guided
HW
Other
Other
Mathematics
Physics
Equilíbrio e Momento de uma Força Gilvandenys Leite Sales Grad
HS
UG-Intro
MS
Guided
Demo
Lab
MC
HW
Physics
Equilibrando a Gangorra Diego Oliveira Silva, Gilvandenys Leite Sales HS
MS
Guided Physics
Momento de uma força Diogo Magalhães HS
UG-Intro
Lab
HW
Discuss
Guided
Other
Demo
Physics

Language Download or Run Tips
Albanian All shqip Run now Veprimi i balancimit
Arabic All العربية Run now قانون تحقيق التوازن
Armenian All Armenian Run now Balancing Act
Azerbaijani All Azerbaijani Run now Tərəzi labaratoriyası
Basque All Euskara Run now Oreka lortzen
Belarusian All беларускі Run now Ураўнаважванне
Bengali All Bengali Run now Balancing Act
Bosnian All Bosanski Run now Ravnoteža
Bulgarian All български Run now Балансиране
Chinese (Simplified) All 中文 (中国) Run now 平衡探究实验
Chinese (Traditional) All 中文 (台灣) Run now Balancing Act_平衡動作
Croatian All hrvatski Run now Ravnoteža poluge
Czech All čeština Run now Rovnováha
Danish All Dansk Run now Balanceakt
Dutch All Nederlands Run now Balanceren
Estonian All Eesti Run now Tasakaaluharjutus
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French All français Run now Action d'équilibrage
Galician All Gallegan Run now Lei de Equilibrio
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German All Deutsch Run now Balanceakt
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Gujarati All Gujarati Run now વજન બેલેન્સીંગ પ્રવૃત્તિ - નિકુંજ સવાણી  દ્વારા
Hebrew All עברית Run now פעולת איזון
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Korean All 한국어 Run now 균형잡기
Kurdish All کوردی Run now Balancing Act
Kurdish (Turkey) All Kurdish (Turkey) Run now Balancing Act
Latvian All Latviešu Run now Sviras līdzsvarošana
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Persian All فارسی Run now قانون گشتاورها
Polish All polski Run now Równowaga
Portuguese All português Run now Balancing Act
Portuguese (Brazil) All português (Brasil) Run now Balançando Download teacher tips PDF
Romanian All română Run now Echilibrul
Russian All русский Run now Равновесие
Serbian All Српски Run now Равнотежа
Sinhalese All Sinhalese Run now බල සංතුලණය
Slovak All Slovenčina Run now Vyvažovanie
Slovenian All Slovenščina Run now Ravnotežje
Spanish All español Run now Ley de equilibrio Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Mexico) All español (México) Run now Ley de Equilibrio Download teacher tips PDF
Spanish (Peru) All español (Perú) Run now Ley de Equilibrio
Spanish (Spain) All español (España) Run now La palanca
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Turkish All Türkçe Run now Denge Hareketi
Turkmen All Turkmen Run now Deňagramlyk işi
Ukrainian All українська Run now Балансування Download teacher tips PDF
Urdu All Urdu Run now عملِ توازن 
Uzbek All Uzbek Run now Действие по балансированию
Vietnamese All Tiếng Việt Run now Cân bằng
Welsh All Welsh Run now Y Ddeddf Cydbwyso

HTML5 sims can run on iPads and Chromebooks, as well as PC, Mac, and Linux systems.

iPad:
iOS 12+ Safari
iPad compatible sims

Android:
Not officially supported. If you are using the HTML5 sims on Android, we recommend using the latest version of Google Chrome.

Chromebook:
Latest version of Google Chrome
The HTML5 and Flash PhET sims are supported on all Chromebooks.
Chromebook compatible sims

Windows Systems:
Microsoft Edge, latest version of Firefox, latest version of Google Chrome.

Macintosh Systems:
macOS 10.9.5+, Safari 9+, latest version of Chrome.

Linux Systems:
Not officially supported. Please contact phethelp@colorado.edu with troubleshooting issues.

Design Team Third-party Libraries Thanks To
  • Kathy Perkins (lead)
  • Ariel Paul (lead)
  • John Blanco (lead, developer)
  • Michael Dubson
  • Patricia Loeblein
  • almond-0.2.9.js
  • FileSaver-b8054a2.js
  • fontawesome-webfont-3.0.2.svg
  • game-up-camera-1.0.0.js
  • jama-1.0.2
  • jquery-2.1.0.js
  • lodash-2.4.1.js
  • pegjs-0.7.0.js
  • seedrandom-2.4.2.js
  • text-2.0.12.js