Physical Properties of Matter

What property of matter looks at how heat moves through objects?

• Thermal conductivity

• Electrical conductivity

• States of matter

• Magnetism

Cranberries are a fruit grown in the northeastern United States. Some farmers use

a method called wet harvesting to collect the cranberries. The farmers flood the

fields with 18 inches of water and use machines, called waterwheels, to loosen the

cranberries from the vines. The cranberries will float and can then be skimmed off

the top of the water. What physical property of the cranberries allows the farmers to

collect the cranberries in this manner?

• The water is less dense than the cranberries

• The cranberries are less dense than the water

• The cranberries are soluble in water

• The cranberries are denser than water

A group of 5th grade students were classifying materials based on physical

properties. Their results are recorded in the table below.

Based on the results, Sample C is probably—

• Water

• Wood

• Iron

• Plastic

A teacher gives a student four clear sealed containers. Each container holds a different substance. The student records some of the observations about the substance in each container.

Based on the results, which container most likely holds only gas?

• Container 1

• Container 2

• Container 3

• Container 4

A student claims that a grape is less dense than corn syrup but is more dense than water. To prove this to her classmates, she pours corn syrup and water into a glass jar and then adds a grape.

Which diagram provides evidence to support her claim?

• F

• H

• G

• J

School was closed because an ice storm covered the roads with a thin layer of ice, making driving conditions unsafe. At what Celsius temperature will the ice begin to melt, making road conditions safe again?

• 100 C

• 0 C

• 32 F

• 15 C

A 5th grade student is classifying a group of objects by their physical properties.

What are two different ways the student could classify these objects, AND what objects would be in each group?

How can a student test the solubility of salt?

• The student can add salt to a beaker of water and then stir it.

• The student can hold a magnet next to the salt to see what happens.

• The student can boil water to see whether salt is left over when the water

  evaporates.

• The student can mix salt and sand and then try to separate the salt from the

  sand.

A student is given a beaker that contains 150 mL of water and an unknown substance. The unknown substance has dissolved in the water and cannot be seen.

How can the student determine what substance has been dissolved in the water?

• Stir the solution quickly

• Pour the solution through a paper filter

• Let the water evaporate

• Add food coloring to the water

A mixture of aluminum and iron beads was placed in a container, as shown below.

The beads are of various sizes and colors.

The mixture would be easy to separate because some of the beads –

• are denser than water

• have the same mass

• are solids

• are attracted to a magnet