Read the Scale
Find the numbers on each side of the red needle. Count the marks between them. Write the mass.
Fresh sheet anytime. Tap New sheet or reload for a different one. Tap + for up to 10.
This is sheet #77824601.
How to do it
- Find the numbers on each side of the needle.
- Work out what each little mark is worth.
- Count on from the smaller number and write the mass.
Teaching tip
The marks can count by 1s, 2s, 5s, 10s, 20s or 50s. Check every scale before reading it. This sheet is aligned with Common Core 3.MD.A.2.
About this worksheet
Kitchen scales with marked dials in grams and kilograms. Read where the needle points.
What kids practice
Mass is how heavy something is. Liquid volume is how much a container holds. Third graders measure mass in grams (g) and kilograms (kg), and liquid volume in milliliters (mL) and liters (L). They pick the better unit, read scales and measuring cups with marked steps, and solve one-step word problems with these units.
Watch for
- Counting each mark as 1 when the marks count by 2s, 5s, 10s or more.
- Picking the unit by the size of the thing instead of how heavy it is. A balloon is big but light.
- Mixing up mass and volume words, like saying a cup weighs 250 milliliters.
It's free to print, with Fewer, Standard or More on the page and an answer key. See the full mass and volume guide for 3rd grade.
More sheets in this set
- See it all
1. Mass and Volume ChartGrams and kilograms, milliliters and liters, with everyday examples like a paper clip (about 1 g) and a water bottle (about 1 L). - See it all
2. How to Read a Scale or CupA kitchen scale and a measuring cup read step by step, including how to find what each little mark is worth. 
3. Grams or Kilograms?Pictures of everyday things, like a key, an egg, a bike and a horse. Circle the better unit.
4. Milliliters or Liters?Cups, bottles, buckets, bathtubs and more. Circle the better unit for how much each one holds.
6. Read the Measuring CupMeasuring cups and jugs with marks in milliliters and liters. Write how much liquid is in each.
7. Mass and Volume StoriesWord problems with grams, kilograms, milliliters and liters, using all four operations.