Tip the Scales

Quick Teacher Tips

Key vocabulary

• equation: a statement that two expressions are equal, like 2x + 3 = 11
• variable: a letter, like x, that stands for an unknown number
• coefficient: the number multiplied by the variable; in 2x, the coefficient is 2
• constant: a number on its own, without a variable
• solution: the value of the variable that makes the equation true
• inverse operations: operations that undo each other: add and subtract, multiply and divide
• like terms: terms with the same variable part, like 3x and 5x, which can be combined
• distributive property: a(b + c) = ab + ac, as in 2(x + 4) = 2x + 8

Tips for using the game

Students solve linear equations on a balance scale that only stays level when both sides are equal.

• The math: to keep an equation true, do the same operation to both sides, using inverse operations to isolate the variable.
• Four tiers: one-step equations (grade 6), two-step equations (grade 7), variables on both sides, and equations with distribution (grade 8).
• Distributive property: the Expand and Factor toggle animates p(x + q) into px + pq, so the rule is visible.
• Several views at once: algebra tiles, the equation, and an expanded term list appear together, and Sandbox mode lets students test any value of x.
• Real life: variables on both sides model comparing two plans, such as finding when two phone or gym prices are equal, and one-variable equations cover unknown quantities in budgets and recipes.