Mass & Measurement
What is mass?
Mass is the amount of matter in an object.
Name the three states of matter.
Solid, liquid, and gas.
When you open a car door from inside the car, is that action a push or a pull?
Push.
List one magnetic object and one non-magnetic object.
Magnetic example — safety pin; Non-magnetic example — pencil (wood).
Name one example of thermal energy.
Thermal example — a warm mug, sunlight warming skin.
Which has more mass: a pencil or a book? (Answer in one sentence.)
Book (books generally have more mass than a pencil).
Describe a solid. Does it take the shape of its container? (Short answer.)
Solid — has a fixed shape and volume; does not take the shape of its container.
Typing on a keyboard: push or pull?
Push (pressing keys).
List three magnetic objects (three short answers).
Examples — paperclip, safety pin, nail (if iron or steel).
Name one example of mechanical energy.
Mechanical example — a rolling toy car, a swinging pendulum.
What tool measures temperature?
Thermometers measure temperature.
Describe a liquid. Does it take the shape of its container? (Short answer.)
Liquid — has a fixed volume but takes the shape of the part of the container it fills.
Opening a filing cabinet drawer: push or pull?
Pull (you pull the drawer open).
List three non-magnetic objects (three short answers).
Examples — plastic spoon, wooden block, rubber eraser.
Name one example of sound energy.
Sound example — a ringing bell, a clap.
What tool measures mass when you compare two objects on opposite pans?
A balance measures mass (by comparing).
Describe a gas. Does it take the shape of its container? (Short answer.)
Gas — has no fixed shape and spreads to fill its container.
What force causes a leaf to fall to the ground in the fall? (Name the force.)
Gravity.
What force is attracting the safety pins in the prompt? (Name the force.)
Magnetic force (attraction due to magnetism).
Name one example of light energy.
Light example — flashlight, sunlight.
Describe step-by-step how to measure the mass of an object using a pan balance. Write each step in order.
Place the pan balance on a flat surface and zero it; place the object on one pan; place known masses or standard weights on the other pan until balanced; the total of the known masses equals the object's mass.
What is evaporation? What is condensation? What is water vapor? (Write a one-sentence definition for each.)
Evaporation — liquid turning into water vapor (gas) usually from heat. Condensation — water vapor cooling and changing into liquid droplets. Water vapor — the gaseous form of water.
Explain in one sentence how the height of a ramp affects the mechanical energy of a toy car released from the top.
Higher ramps give a toy car more potential energy before release, so it has more mechanical energy when it moves down (short student-friendly wording).
Give two clues a student could use to decide if an object is magnetic (practical classroom test steps).
Clues/tests — try bringing a magnet close to the object to see if it sticks; check if the object is made of iron, nickel, or cobalt (classroom-friendly: test with a known magnet and observe).
What is mechanical energy? Give a short kid-friendly definition and an example.
Mechanical energy — energy of motion or stored energy of position (e.g., a moving bicycle or a rock at the top of a hill). Short definition: energy an object has because of its motion or position.