The Properties of Matter:SC.5.P.8.1

Janice found two sea shells when she went to the beach. They appear to be almost the same size, but they have different shapes.
How could she figure out if their volume is the same?

• Weigh each one on a scale to see which is heaviest
• Fill each one with water to see which will hold the most
• Drop each one in a beaker of water to see which raises the water level the most
• Measure the length of each one with a measuring tape to see which is longest

The two objects shown are the same size. However, one object is made of wood, and the other object is made of plastic. Which of the following properties of the objects will be the same?

• mass
• texture
• volume
• weight

Susan blew up a balloon until it was completely full and as big as a soccer ball.
Which of the following correctly describes the air inside the balloon?

• The air is a gas that cannot be compressed by any means
• The air is a gas that always forms a round shape when compressed
• The air is a gas that expands to evenly fill the space inside the balloon
• The air is a gas that will flow evenly and steadily from inside the balloon if punctured

Dan brought some chocolate chips in a plastic container with his lunch one day. He decided to save them and eat them while he waited for the bus after school. All afternoon his lunch bag sat on the warm windowsill in his classroom. When he finally took the container out after school, the chocolate chips had turned into a hard chunk of chocolate shaped like the bottom of the container.
What happened to his chocolate chips?

• They started as a solid, melted, and then became solid again
• They changed from a solid to a gas before becoming solid once again
• They were a cool solid to start, then became a warm solid before cooling again
• They went from being a hard solid to a gas, a liquid, and then to a hard solid again

Jacob found a piece of a broken glass bottle. He picked it up and made these observations about it:  
1.  No color (clear)  
2.  Makes scratches on wood  
3.  Has a bumpy surface  
 4.  Broke when I dropped it  
 He thinks the glass is a solid and most of his observations could only apply to a solid.
Which one of his observations could possibly apply to a solid, a liquid or a gas?

• 1
• 2
• 3
• 4

Lorenzo wants to mail a breakable birthday present to his friend. He has some crumpled newspaper and some crumpled tissue paper that he could use as packing material. Either one of them would protect his present from breaking.  
He needs to figure out which type of packing material will weigh less, since the amount of postage he has to pay is based on how much his package weighs.
What would be the BEST way for him to figure out which one to use?

• Weigh a newspaper, weigh a package of tissue paper, and see which weighs more
• Weigh a crumpled piece of newspaper, weigh a crumpled piece of tissue paper, and see which weighs more
• Put ten pieces of crumpled newspaper in the box and weigh it, repeat with ten pieces of crumpled tissue paper, and see which weighs more
• Pack the box with crumpled newspaper and weigh it, then pack it with crumpled tissue paper, and see which weighs more

If two objects balance like the ones shown, what must be true?

• Object A has more mass than object B
• Both objects have the same mass
• Object A has more volume than object B
• Both objects have the same volume

Nathan went swimming at the lake over the weekend. While he was playing on the shore, he found a small chunk of cement and a stick, which appeared to be the same size.
What would be the best way for Nathan to compare the volume of the stick and of the chunk of cement?

• A.  Throw them in the lake and see which one will sink.
• Use a ruler to measure the length of each of the objects.
• Place them each on a scale and see which one weighs more
• Place them in a bucket of water and see which one raises the water level the most

Maria and Lucy are making peanut butter sandwiches. They learned at school that a substance may be a solid, a liquid or a gas. Maria thinks the peanut butter is a solid, but Lucy thinks it is a liquid.
What would be the best way to test it to see if it is a liquid?

• Try to pour it out of the jar
• Heat it to see if it gets softer
• See if its volume increases in the freezer
• Press it to try to make it take up less space

Both cookies and gelatin desserts are solids although their textures are very different.
What do they have in common that makes them solids?

• They both may be eaten
• They both keep their own shape
• They both can move around in a container
• They both are made of solids such as sugar