Properties of Matter
Dissolving
Seperating Mixtures
Physical and Chemical Changes
Nature of Science
100
Mindy found two seashells 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?
A. weigh each one on a scale to see which is heaviest
B. take the temperature of each one to see which has the most heat
C. measure the length of each one with a measuring tape to see which is longest
D. drop each one in a beaker of water to see which raises the water level to the highest level
D. drop each one in a beaker of water to see which raises the water level to the highest level
100
Roger uses sugar cubes to sweeten his tea. He wonders whether stirring his tea will make the sugar cube dissolve faster or slower. If Roger stirs his tea, what effect does it have on the rate at which the sugar cube dissolves?
A. The rate that the sugar cube dissolves will speed up.
B. The rate that the sugar cube dissolves will slow down.
C. The rate that the sugar cube dissolves will remain the same.
D. The rate that the sugar cube dissolves will slow down and then stop.
A. The rate that the sugar cube dissolves will speed up.
100
Ebert's science teacher has a mixture of table salt and iron filings. Which of the following would be the best way to separate the salt and the iron filings?
A. Use a magnet to pull the iron filings from the salt.
B. Add food coloring to the mixture to make the salt change color.
C. Pour them into a beaker of water and see if the iron filings float.
D. Heat up the mixture to see if the salt or the iron filings will burn away.
A. Use a magnet to pull the iron filings from the salt.
100
On a sunny day, Riley is cutting branches from a tree in her yard. At midday, she takes a break, leaving a pile of branches and leaves on the ground. When she returns and gathers the branches, she notices the leaves are wilted and crisp. Which of the following describes what most likely happened to the leaves?
A. The trees had not received water for a long time before being cut.
B. The warm temperature caused moisture to evaporate from the leaves.
C. The nutrients cannot reach the leaves if the tree's branches are not upright.
D. The leaves had been covered in frost the week before but had not wilted until now.
B. The warm temperature caused moisture to evaporate from the leaves.
100
Jane is investigating to find out if bean plants grow taller in ordinary topsoil or special potting soil over a three week period. She sets up her investigation with 10 bean plants of equal size in each type of soil. What should Jane do each day to make sure she gets valid results?
A. Water only the plants in special potting soil.
B. Calculate the average plant height for each soil type.
C. Move the plants in ordinary topsoil to different locations.
D. Estimate the height of each plant's stem and record the estimate.
B. Calculate the average plant height for each soil type.
200
The two objects shown below are sitting in the same room. They are the same size. One floats in water and the other sinks in water.
Which of the following properties of the objects will most likely be different?
A. mass
B. length
C. volume
D. temperature
A. mass
200
Which of the following solids will not dissolve in boiling water?
A. sand
B. sugar
C. table salt
D. baking soda
A. sand
200
Laisha has a container that contains thousands of mixed glass beads and iron beads of different shapes and sizes. Which of the following is the best way to separate them?
A. The glass beads will float so she could add water to the container and the glass will float to the top.
B. The iron beads are magnetic so she could separate the glass from the iron with a strong magnet.
C. The iron beads might be heavier so she could shake the container until the iron beads settle to the bottom.
D. The glass beads are larger so she could pour the beads through a strainer and the iron beads will separate.
B. The iron beads are magnetic so she could separate the glass from the iron with a strong magnet.
200
Which of the following best describes an example of a material undergoing a chemical change to become another material with different characteristics?
A. Water turns into a gas vapor when it boils.
B. Iron turns to rust when it is exposed to oxygen.
C. Oxygen can become liquid at a very low temperature.
D. Gold can be spread out very thin to cover a large area.
B. Iron turns to rust when it is exposed to oxygen.
200
A prediction (hypothesis) must be testable. Which prediction (hypothesis) is testable?
A. Blue is the best color.
B. Summer is nicer than fall.
C. Dogs are better than cats.
D. A beagle can jump higher than a Persian cat.
D. A beagle can jump higher than a Persian cat.
300
Tanya is measuring two solids on a balance scale.
What must be true about the two objects shown above?
A. Both objects have the same mass.
B. Both objects have the same volume.
C. Object A has more mass than object B.
D. Object B has more mass than object A.
A. Both objects have the same mass.
300
Carly has a thick ten-kilogram block of soap and a thin ten-kilogram sheet of the same kind of soap. Which answer best explains which will dissolve first when they are both placed underwater?
A. The sheet will dissolve first because it has more surface area.
B. The sheet will dissolve first because it has less mass than the block.
C. The block and the sheet will dissolve at the same pace because they weight the same.
D. The block and the sheet will dissolve at the same pace because they take up the same space.
A. The sheet will dissolve first because it has more surface area.
300
Isaac has a bucket of saltwater. Which of the following would be the best way to remove the water so that Isaac is left with only salt?
A. Stir the saltwater for a long time. The salt will form a crystal.
B. Leave the saltwater to sit for a long time. The salt will settle to the bottom.
C. Boil the saltwater. The water will evaporate and only the salt will remain.
D. Freeze the saltwater. The water will sink to the bottom and the salt will rise to the top.
C. Boil the saltwater. The water will evaporate and only the salt will remain.
300
Rebecca leaves a basket of flowers she has just picked outside in the hot sun for several hours. What will Rebecca most likely find in her basket when she returns?
A. The flowers will be wilted and possibly brown.
B. The flowers will be moving up towards the sunlight.
C. Because they are living, the flowers will not have changed.
D. Because they were just picked, the flowers will not have changed.
A. The flowers will be wilted and possibly brown.
300
The class is working with classes in other schools in Jacksonville to investigate the amount of rainfall in different parts of the city. Each class has the same type of rain gauge and the same type of data chart to use to record the rainfall each day. What is another important step for all the classes to include in their procedure?
A. Put the rain gauge in a grassy area at each school.
B. Use the same color pen to record the rainfall data.
C. Put the rain gauge next to the building at each school.
D. Use the same schedule for measuring the amount of rainfall.
D. Use the same schedule for measuring the amount of rainfall.
400
Vance found an object outside. He picked up the object and made these observations:
1. no color (clear)
2. has a mass of 3.5 grams
3. it has a square shape that does not change
4. has a volume of 4 mL
He knows the object is a solid, but most of his observations could apply to a solid, liquid, or a gas. Which of his observations only apply to a solid?
A. 1
B. 2
C. 3
D. 4
C. 3
400
Vanessa wants to know what effect stirring will have on the rate at which a sugar cube will dissolve. Which answer best explains the effect that stirring will have?
A. Stirring makes the sugar move around, and it dissolves more slowly because it is not staying still.
B. The sugar will dissolve more slowly because the movement of the water makes it stick together.
C. The sugar dissolves more quickly because the motion of the spoon creates heat, which melts the sugar.
D. When the sugar is stirred, more surface area will come into contact with the water, so the sugar dissolves more quickly.
D. When the sugar is stirred, more surface area will come into contact with the water, so the sugar dissolves more quickly.
400
Jimmy has four buckets full of dark, muddy water. One bucket is frozen, one bucket is boiled, one bucket is shaken up, and one bucket is passed through a paper filter. Which bucket is most likely to become lighter in color?
A. The frozen bucket because the mud will separate from the water.
B. The shaken bucket because shaking will cause the mud to dissolve.
C. The boiled bucket because the dirt in the muddy water will evaporate.
D. The filtered bucket because larger particles of dirt will strain out of the water.
D. The filtered bucket because larger particles of dirt will strain out of the water.
400
Iron becomes rust when it reacts with oxygen. Which of the following is another example of a material undergoing a chemical change to become another material with different characteristics?
A. melting ice
B. burning wood
C. freezing water
D. shattering glass
B. burning wood
400
Brianna's class wants to determine if boys or girls recycled more paper each day. They set up separate recycling bins in the classroom and labeled them "Boys" and "Girls." The students then placed their paper items in the right bins. Which of the following should the students do each day before emptying the bins?
A. Make lists of the different types of paper in each bin
B. Count and record the number of paper items recycled in each bin.
C. Make a list of which student recycled which paper item in each of the bins.
D. Record their estimate of the number of times students placed items in each bin.
B. Count and record the number of paper items recycled in each bin.
500
Both cookies and gelatin desserts are solids although their textures are very different. What do they have in common that makes them solids?
A. They both may be eaten.
B. They both keep their own shape.
C. They both can move around in a container.
D. They both are made of solids such as sugar.
B. They both keep their own shape.
500
Four friends are challenged to find the fastest way to dissolve one gram (g) of sugar in 250 milliliters (ml) of water. The table below describes each person's strategy.
Which of the following most likely identifies which sugar will dissolve the fastest andslowest?
A. Marco's sugar will dissolve the fastest and Joshua's sugar will dissolve the slowest.
B. Marco's sugar will dissolve the fastest and Martha's sugar will dissolve the slowest.
C. Daisy's sugar will dissolve the fastest and Martha's sugar will dissolve the slowest.
D. Daisy's sugar will dissolve the fastest and Joshua's sugar will dissolve the slowest.
D. Daisy's sugar will dissolve the fastest and Joshua's sugar will dissolve the slowest.
500
Carlos has a mixture of iron filings, foam pellets, sand, and sugar. After separating the iron filings and foam pellets from the mixture, what would Carlos most likely need to do to separate the rest of the mixture?
A. Filter the sand, evaporate the water, and then dissolve the sugar.
B. Filter the sand, dissolve the sugar, and then evaporate the water.
C. Dissolve the sugar, filter the sand, and then evaporate the water.
D. Dissolve the sugar, evaporate the water, and then filter the sand.
C. Dissolve the sugar, filter the sand, and then evaporate the water.
500
A compost pile is made up of vegetable scraps, grass clippings, and other yard waste. With the help of bacteria that break down matter, the plant material slowly becomes smaller particles that help the soil. What would most likely slow down the process of
breaking down plant material in a compost pile?
A. lowering the surrounding temperature
B. compacting the material into a smaller space
C. turning the pile over to introduce more oxygen
D. introducing worms or other creatures to the pile
A. lowering the surrounding temperature
500
The students in Miss Smith's class were using catapults to launch small and large marshmallows across the room. The table below shows the distances in centimeters (cm) that the marshmallows traveled. 
Which of the following statements best describes the students' data?
A. Small marshmallows travel an average of 9 centimeters.
B. Large marshmallows travel an average of more than 20 centimeters.
C. On average, small marshmallows travel farther than large marshmallows.
D. On average, large marshmallows go higher in the air than small marshmallows.
C. On average, small marshmallows travel farther than large marshmallows.