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Hover your mouse pointer over the image below and click on the hotspots to find out more. To solve the puzzle, you must balance the scales using all of the shapes provided. Remember that a puzzle is not solved unless you use all of the shapes provided at the bottom of the screen!
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This image shows an iPad screenshot of the MathScaled game board. It is a mobile-like balance in the center with a second balance hanging from the right side of the top balance. One shape (a yellow triangle) hangs on the left side of the second balance. Along the bottom of the screen there are three stacks of shapes: (from left to right) yellow triangles, blue hourglasses, and green diamonds. At the top of the screen, the MathScaled logo is located on the left, a Clear Shapes button is in the center, and a Back button on is on the right. In the lower right corner of the screen above the stacks of shapes, there is a green tab labeled "Compar-O-Tron." In the lower left corner of the screen, there is a button labeled "Scratch Pad" with the word "Off" below it.
Touch the Clear Shapes button to clear all of the unlocked shapes from the puzzle. Touching this button does not clear information from the Compar-O-Tron, but it does clear information from the Scratch Pad.
Touch the Back button to go back to the puzzle selection screen. Any work you've done on the puzzle will be automatically saved.
The balance rod is initially locked. Touch the claws at the center of each balance rod to unlock and open them. To isolate a single part of the puzzle, lock all of the other claws except the claw on the scale you're working on.
The claws in the image below are locked.
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There are two balance rods in this scale -- the top balance rod has nothing on the left side, and the second balance rod is attached to the right side. The claws in the center of the balance rods are closed, and the scales appear balanced. On the second balance rod, a locked yellow triangle appears on the left and nothing is on the right side.
The claws in the image below are unlocked and open. With the claws unlocked, you can see which side of the scale is heavier or lighter.
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There are two balance rods in this scale -- the top balance rod has nothing on the left side, and the second balance rod is attached to the right side. The claws in the center of the balance rods are open, and the scales appear unbalanced. The top balance is higher on the left side than on the right. On the second balance rod, a locked yellow triangle appears on the left and nothing is on the right side. The left side is lower than the right side of the balance rod.
Some shapes appear with a lock symbol at the top of them. These shapes cannot be moved nor removed from the puzzle. If you touch the Clear Shapes button, they will remain attached to the scales.
Drag these shapes to the chains on the balance rods. All of the shapes provided at the bottom of your puzzle screen must be used to solve the puzzle.
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There are two balance rods in this scale -- the top balance rod has nothing on the left side, and the second balance rod is attached to the right side. The claws in the center of the balance rods are open. The balance rod in the top scale is higher on the left than the right. The second balance rod appears balanced and is colored white. A yellow triangle appears on the left side of the balance and a green diamond and blue hourglass appear on the right side of the balance.
The Compar-O-Tron lets you try different combinations of shapes . When the rod is balanced, that combination is saved in the Compar-O-Tron.
Touch the green Compar-O-Tron button to slide open the Small View of the Compar-O-Tron.
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The green Compar-O-Tron button appears on the right-hand side of the screen as a rectangular tab. There are three piles of shapes to the left of the Compar-O-Tron button: (from left to right) yellow triangles, blue hourglasses, and green diamonds.
The Small View of the Compar-O-Tron (below) shows you the balances that have been saved. You can still move the shapes onto the puzzle with the Compar-O-Tron open in Small View. If you have more than six saved balances, swipe to the left to reveal them. You can also delete balances by touching the garbage can icon in the lower left corner of each saved balance. To show the Full View of the Compar-O-Tron and experiment with the shapes, touch the Full View button on the left.
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The green Compar-O-Tron button appears on the left, as it has slid open to reveal three balances. On the right-hand side of the screen where the Compar-O-Tron button originally appeared is a button that reads, "Full View". The three balances show shapes on the right and left along with a garbage can icon in the lower left corner of each balance. The balances that appear from left to right are: four yellow triangles balanced with one green diamond, two blue hourglasses balanced with one green diamond, and two yellow triangles balanced with one blue hourglass.
The Full View of the Compar-O-Tron (below) is where you can explore comparisons and balances by dragging the shapes to the center balance rod. When you balance the scale, your balance is automatically saved to the Compar-O-Tron and appears in the top of the Full View. These same balances appear in the Small View of the Compar-O-Tron. To delete any balances, touch the garbage can icon in the lower left corner of the balance. To begin a fresh balance, touch the Clear Shapes button in the center of the balance rod. From the Full View, you can either close the Compar-O-Tron by touching the green Compar-O-Tron button on the lower left, or change to the Small View by touching the Small View button in the lower right.
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The green Compar-O-Tron button appears on the left, as it has slid open and expanded to reveal the Full View which covers most of the puzzle area. At the top are two saved balances, and at the bottom is a larger balance with shapes along the very bottom of the screen. On the right-hand side of the screen where the Compar-O-Tron button originally appeared is a button that reads, "Small View". The two balances at the top of the Compar-O-Tron are exactly like the balances in the Small View. Each is a small balance with shapes on both sides and a garbage can icon in the lower left corner. The first balance on this screen shows two blue hourglasses on the left and one green diamond on the right. The second balance shows two yellow triangles on the left and one blue hourglass on the right. The balance in the lower center of the Full View is unbalanced, with three yellow triangles on the left weighing less than the one green triangle on the right. At the top of the balance is a Clear Shapes button. The three piles of shapes at the bottom of the screen (from left to right) are: yellow triangles, blue hourglasses, and green diamonds.
The Scratch Pad lets you assign numbers, letters, or symbols to the shapes and the sides of the scales -- whatever helps you solve the puzzle.
Touch the Scratch Pad button once to enter the Edit mode (shown below) and replace any question mark shown with a number, letter, or symbol. Touch the question marks to bring up the keyboard and type in your notations. Anything you enter will be saved, even when you turn the Scratch Pad off. You cannot move the shapes in the Edit mode.
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The screenshot shows the MathScaled puzzle board in Scratch Pad Edit mode. The entire screen is overlayed with a blueprint grid, and question marks appear on the ends of the balance rods and on the shapes in the puzzle.
Touch the Scratch Pad button once more to enter the View mode (shown below). In View mode, you can see the notations you made in Edit mode and you can move the shapes around the puzzle (unlike in Edit mode). To edit your notations, touch the Scratch Pad button twice to toggle to Edit mode again.
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The screenshot shows the MathScaled puzzle board in Scratch Pad View mode. Question marks and numbers appear on the ends of the balance rods and on the shapes in the puzzle.
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