Year 1 · Mass and volume
Say which of 2 things is heavier or lighter
Learn how to say which of two things is heavier or lighter, and whether a container is full, empty, part full or holds more than another.
Definition
Some things are heavy and some things are light. The heavy one pushes your hand down more. Containers hold things like water or sand. A container can be full, empty or part full, and some containers hold more than others.
Why Do I Have to Learn This?
Area measures how much surface a shape covers. It tells you how much paint, carpet or wrapping paper you need.
Key Rules:
- 1. Hold one thing in each hand: the one that pushes your hand down more is heavier.
- 2. On a balance scale, the heavier thing makes its side go down and the lighter thing goes up.
Remember:
- •Feel which one pushes down more to find the heavier thing. Count cups to find which container holds more.
Don’t Forget...
- •Thinking the bigger thing is always heavier. A big balloon is light and a small stone is heavy. Size and weight are not the same thing.
Area
The amount of surface a flat shape covers. For a rectangle, area = length × width.
A rectangle 4 cm by 3 cm has an area of 12 cm².
Worked Example:
Ava holds an apple in one hand and a leaf in the other. The apple pushes her hand down. The leaf feels like nothing. Which one is lighter?
The apple pushes down more, so the apple is heavier.
The leaf pushes down less, so the leaf is lighter.
Answer: The leaf is lighter.
Why It Works:
The tests are fair because both things get the same test. The same cup fills the jug and the mug, so counting cups truly compares how much they hold. A balance always tips down on the heavier side, so it always shows which thing weighs more.
Another Example:
A jug takes 6 cups of water to fill. A mug takes 2 cups of water to fill. Which one holds more?
Fill the jug with cups of water. It takes 6 cups.
Fill the mug with the same cup. It takes 2 cups.
6 is more than 2, so the jug takes more cups.
More cups means it holds more.
Answer: The jug holds more. The mug holds less.
Animated Example:
Free Say which of 2 things is heavier or lighter Worksheet
Download free worksheets and practise today.
Every download has a fresh set of questions.
Let’s Practise the Concept
Step 1 of 3
Put them in order
Tap the numbers from smallest to largest.
In order so far: nothing yet