Mixtures vs. Solutions
Which of the following is a solution?
A. Sand and water
B. Trail mix
C. Salt and water
D. Oil and water
C. Salt and water
What does it mean if something is insoluble in water?
A. It dissolves completely
B. It changes color
C. It does not dissolve
D. It floats
C. It does not dissolve
What is the first step in forming sedimentary rock?
A. Melting
B. Weathering and erosion
C. Cooling
D. Volcanic eruption
B. Weathering and erosion
Which is a biotic factor?
A. Sunlight
B. Water
C. Grass
D. Rocks
C. Grass
Which is a physical property?
A. Age
B. Color
C. Type of animal
D. Habitat
B. Color
How can you separate a mixture of iron filings and sand?
A. Use a filter
B. Use a magnet
C. Add water
D. Heat it up
B. Use a magnet
Which of these is a soluble substance?
A. Sand
B. Oil
C. Sugar
D. Pebbles
C. Sugar
What helps sediments stick together into rock?
A. Condensation
B. Evaporation
C. Compaction and cementation
D. Freezing
C. Compaction and cementation
Which group has only abiotic factors?
A. Soil, rocks, deer
B. Sunlight, air, temperature
C. Trees, birds, bacteria
D. Fish, water, algae
B. Sunlight, air, temperature
What tool measures the mass of an object?
A. Ruler
B. Thermometer
C. Balance
D. Stopwatch
C. Balance
Explain the difference between a mixture and a solution. Give one example of each.
A mixture combines substances that can be separated easily (like sand and water). A solution is a mixture where one substance dissolves in another (like salt water).
What happens when you mix a soluble and an insoluble substance in water? Give an example.
The soluble substance dissolves (like sugar), and the insoluble one does not (like sand). You will see one disappear and one settle at the bottom.
Describe how sedimentary rocks form. Include at least 3 steps.
WEDCC. -
Rocks break into sediments by weathering and erosion.
Sediments pile up in layers.
Pressure compacts them, and minerals cement them into rock.
How do abiotic and biotic factors interact in an ecosystem? Give examples.
Biotic factors (like plants) need abiotic factors (like sunlight and water) to live. For example, fish (biotic) need oxygen and water (abiotic).
List 3 physical properties and how we observe them.
Color – by looking
Texture – by touch
Mass – using a balance
Why is a solution considered a special kind of mixture?
A. It can only be made with solids
B. It always includes sand
C. The substances in a solution can't be separated
D. The substances are mixed so well they look like one
D. The substances are mixed so well they look like one
What change can help a soluble substance dissolve faster?
A. Adding a rock
B. Cooling the water
C. Stirring or heating
D. Letting it sit still
C. Stirring or heating
Why are fossils often found in sedimentary rocks?
A. They form during volcanic eruptions
B. They are made from lava
C. Sediments can trap and preserve remains
D. They form deep in Earth's core
C. Sediments can trap and preserve remains
Which change to an abiotic factor could affect a biotic factor the most?
A. Rocks turning to sand
B. Increase in sunlight
C. Temperature staying the same
D. Tree growing taller
B. Increase in sunlight
What is the difference between mass and volume?
A. Mass is how much space it takes up; volume is how heavy it is
B. Mass is measured in liters; volume in grams
C. Mass is the amount of matter; volume is how much space it takes up
D. They are the same
C. Mass is the amount of matter; volume is how much space it takes up
A student mixes salt, sugar, and pepper in water. Which part is a solution, and which is a mixture? Explain how you could separate them.
Salt and sugar dissolve, forming a solution. Pepper does not dissolve—it forms a mixture. Use a filter to remove pepper, then evaporate water to recover salt and sugar.
You have two powders. One dissolves in water, and one doesn’t. Describe an investigation you could do to figure out which is soluble.
Mix each powder with water, stir, and observe. The one that disappears (dissolves) is soluble. The one that settles or stays visible is insoluble.
Explain how water plays a role in the formation of sedimentary rocks.
Water moves sediments through erosion, carries them to new places, and helps compact and cement them into layers over time.
Describe a food chain that includes both abiotic and biotic factors. Label each part.
Sunlight (abiotic) → Grass (biotic producer) → Rabbit (biotic consumer) → Hawk (biotic predator). Sunlight helps grass grow, which feeds the rabbit, which is eaten by the hawk.
You have two objects of the same size. One is heavier. What does that tell you about their physical properties?
They have the same volume but different mass, so the heavier one is more dense.