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This one is tricky! There are five slots for the boxes. The slot in the center has no effect on the trailer balance since its distance to the center is 0. Put the heaviest weight there and then figure out how to balance the other three weights. Learn more about balance.
Great job!
You were able to figure out the best placement of the boxes in the trailer.
Now, we can quickly bring this food to the hungry explorers.
In this example, the term "balance" means making the trailer stable by placing the boxes at the correct distance on each side of the center point so the trailer does not lean backward or forward.
The center point is the center of the trailer. It is the trailer's wheel.
When the trailer is empty, it is perfectly balanced around the center point.
Multiply the object's weight times its distance from the center. This is represented by W x D where:
The trailer is balanced when WxD on one side of the center point equals WxD on the other side so:
If you have two boxes that are the same weight, you can place them the same distance from the center and the trailer will be balanced.
Think about a seesaw on a playground. If you and I weigh about the same, we can both sit at the very ends of the seesaw board. The seesaw will be perfectly balanced.
But if one of us is heavier, we can't both sit at the same place on the seesaw to keep it balanced. The heavier person has to move closer to the center.
Therefore, when balancing two objects of different weights, the heavier object needs to be closer to the center and the lighter object farther away.