5th Grade Science Review Scientific Procedures

Maurice followed these steps of an investigation:

Step 1. Collect five objects made of different types of metal.

Step 2. Place them on a large laboratory table.

Step 3. Touch each metal object with a magnet and lift slowly.

Step 4. Record observations.

Which of the following statements is Maurice most likely testing?

• Metals are attracted to magnets.

• Each magnet can lift the metal object to the same height.

• Larger magnets can pick up heavier metal objects than smaller magnets can.

• Heavier metal objects are more attracted to magnets than lighter metal objects are.

Lucas told his mom he wanted to know how tall the members of his family are. Each family member takes turns measuring each other. His mom is 5 feet 2 inches, his dad is 6 feet, his sister is 3 feet 3 inches tall and he is 4 feet 7 inches tall. What could Lucas do with this data to make it easier to read and analyze?

• Create a data table.

• Ask a question.

• Make a prediction.

• Draw a conclusion.

Martha followed these steps of an investigation:

Step 1: Gather 3 microwavable cups the same size and material and label the cups A, B, and C.

Step 2: Add 25 mL of water to Cup A, 50 mL of water to Cup B, 100 mL of water to Cup C.

Step 3: Heat each cup for 1 minute in a microwave and measure the temperature of the water.

What is the best choice for what she should do after Step 3?

• Added more water to each cup.

• Recorded the temperatures as her results.

• Write a conclusion.

• Repeat the experiment again

Sylvia records the following about her pet hamster Mel.

 Mel is 630 grams.

 Mel is 10 centimeters.

 Mel eats carrots.

 Mel likes the color red.

 Mel lives at my house.

Which of the following from Sylvia’s list is NOT an observation?

• Mel is 630 grams.

• Mel lives at my house.

• Mel likes the color red.

• Mel eats carrots.

Which of the following is not a scientific explanation supported by evidence or observation?

• Object A measures 5 cm. and object B measures 10 cm. Object B is longer than object A because of the difference in measurements

• The fire truck that passed us on the street was red

• Sally ran faster than Billy around the track. Sally ran in 45 seconds while Billy ran in 55 seconds

• All students like candy.

Omar is performing an investigation using several earthworms. He places a rectangular box under a bright lamp and covers one-half of the box so that it is shaded. Then, he puts the earthworms into the box on the side that is still brightly lit. Later, Omar notices that all of the earthworms have crawled over to the shaded side of the box. Based on his investigation, which of the following is an observation and NOT a personal opinion?

• Earthworms are afraid of light.

• Earthworms like staying together.

• Earthworms move away from light.

• Earthworms like living in the ground.

Gabriel is designing an experiment to see whether sugar or artificial sweetener will attract the greater number of ants. Which statement best describes why Gabriel should write down his experimental procedure?

• The exact experiment can be repeated by others and the results compared.

• The experiment can be changed by others to get different results.

• The data will help people decide what type of sweetener to use.

• The data will show people which ants are more common.

Sometimes scientists replicate the research of other scientists. Which of the following is the most likely reason scientists do this?

• to form new theories

• to improve the research

• to win prizes for their work

• to verify that the work is accurate

Why is it important to measure very carefully in an investigation?

• to practice measuring skills

• to keep good records

• so others can replicate the work

• to test the accuracy of our tools

On two different days, two students measured the force required to hold a pair of scissors using a spring scale. How should the results compare?

• The results should be the same because the mass of the scissors and the force of gravity are the same.

• The results should be the same because friction does not change between the two experiments.

• The results should be different because two people never perform an experiment exactly the same way.

• The results should be different because changes in conditions between different days will cause the results to change.