A house mouse has a mass of 12 grams. If you put a mouse on a scale, how many paper clips would be needed to balance it if a paper clip has a mass of 12 grams?
To find out how many paper clips are needed to balance a 12-gram mouse on a scale, divide the mass of the mouse by the mass of one paper clip.
Given that the mouse has a mass of 12 grams, and that each paper clip has a mass of 12 grams, divide 12 grams by 12 grams:
12 grams ÷ 12 grams = 1
Therefore, one paper clip is needed to balance the mouse.