Year 5 Science · Properties and uses of materials · Test yourself
Year 5 Science Properties and uses of materials: check-up and practice test questions
Part of the Year 5 Science properties and uses of materials chapter. Chapter overview · whole chapter on one page
Exercise 5Z Check-up
1
Look at the table in section 5.1. Which material is see-through: clear glass, or rubber band? Write the words.
| Material | See-through? | Conducts electricity? | Conducts heat? | Pulled by a magnet? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iron nail | no | yes | yes | yes |
| aluminium foil | no | yes | yes | no |
| copper wire | no | yes | yes | no |
| clear glass | yes | no | no | no |
| clear plastic bottle | yes | no | no | no |
| wooden block | no | no | no | no |
| rubber band | no | no | no | no |
clear glass
Method. Read the see-through column.
- Read the rows. The clear glass row says yes, and the rubber band row says no.yes and no
- Choose the see-through one. So the see-through material is clear glass.clear glass
- Write the answer. clear glass
Check. Clear glass lets you see through it. ✓
2
Which material is a conductor of electricity: wooden block, or aluminium foil? Write the words.
| Material | See-through? | Conducts electricity? | Conducts heat? | Pulled by a magnet? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iron nail | no | yes | yes | yes |
| aluminium foil | no | yes | yes | no |
| copper wire | no | yes | yes | no |
| clear glass | yes | no | no | no |
| clear plastic bottle | yes | no | no | no |
| wooden block | no | no | no | no |
| rubber band | no | no | no | no |
aluminium foil
Method. Read the electricity column.
- Read the rows. The aluminium foil row says yes for conducts electricity.yes
- Choose the conductor. So aluminium foil conducts electricity.aluminium foil
- Write the answer. aluminium foil
Check. Aluminium is a metal, so it conducts electricity. ✓
3
Which spoon melted the butter fastest in the spoon test? Write the words.
| Spoon | Seconds for the butter to melt and slide off |
|---|---|
| metal spoon | 40 |
| plastic spoon | 150 |
| wooden spoon | 180 |
metal spoon
Method. Find the shortest time.
- Find the shortest time. The metal spoon took 40 seconds.40 seconds
- Name the spoon. So the metal spoon was fastest.metal spoon
- Write the answer. metal spoon
Check. Metals conduct heat well. ✓
4
Which material is pulled by a magnet in the table? Write the name.
| Material | See-through? | Conducts electricity? | Conducts heat? | Pulled by a magnet? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iron nail | no | yes | yes | yes |
| aluminium foil | no | yes | yes | no |
| copper wire | no | yes | yes | no |
| clear glass | yes | no | no | no |
| clear plastic bottle | yes | no | no | no |
| wooden block | no | no | no | no |
| rubber band | no | no | no | no |
iron nail
Method. Read the magnet column.
- Read the column. Only the iron nail row says yes.iron nail
- Name it. So the material pulled by a magnet is the iron nail.iron nail
- Write the answer. iron nail
Check. Iron is a magnetic material. ✓
5
Is a plastic bottle a conductor of electricity? Write yes or no.
| Material | See-through? | Conducts electricity? | Conducts heat? | Pulled by a magnet? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iron nail | no | yes | yes | yes |
| aluminium foil | no | yes | yes | no |
| copper wire | no | yes | yes | no |
| clear glass | yes | no | no | no |
| clear plastic bottle | yes | no | no | no |
| wooden block | no | no | no | no |
| rubber band | no | no | no | no |
no
Method. Read the row for the clear plastic bottle.
- Read the row. The clear plastic bottle row says no for conducts electricity.no
- Decide. So the answer is no.no
- Write the answer. no
Check. Plastic is an insulator. ✓
6
Look at the scratch test in section 5.1. How many scratches did the wooden block make? Write the number.
| Material | Number of scratches on the test board |
|---|---|
| clear glass | 0 |
| wooden block | 3 |
| iron nail | 2 |
3
Method. Read the scratch table.
- Read the table. The wooden block row shows 3 scratches.3
- Write the number. So the wooden block made 3 scratches.3
- Write the answer. 3
Check. The iron nail made 2 scratches. ✓
7
Fill in the gap: a material that you can see clearly through is ___. Write one word.
transparent
Method. Read the key ideas in section 5.1.
- Read the key idea. A transparent material lets you see clearly through it.see clearly through
- Fill the gap. So the missing word is transparent.transparent
- Write the answer. transparent
Check. Opaque materials let no light through. ✓
8
Fill in the gap: a material that lets electricity pass through it is a ___. Write one word.
conductor
Method. Read the key ideas in section 5.2.
- Read the key idea. A conductor lets electricity pass through it.lets electricity pass
- Fill the gap. So the missing word is conductor.conductor
- Write the answer. conductor
Check. Insulators do not let electricity pass. ✓
9
Which part of the saucepan should not conduct heat, so that the cook can hold it? Write the words.
plastic handle
Method. Read the labels in the picture.
- Read the labels. The plastic handle does not conduct heat.does not conduct heat
- Name the part. So the part is the plastic handle.plastic handle
- Write the answer. plastic handle
Check. The handle stays cool to hold. ✓
10
Explain why we use metal for a saucepan base but plastic for its handle. Write one sentence.
Accept any sentence that says metal conducts heat so the food heats quickly, while plastic does not conduct heat so the handle stays cool.
Method. Think about each part.
- Think about the base. The base is metal, so it conducts heat to the food.conducts heat
- Think about the handle. The handle is plastic, so it does not conduct heat and stays cool.stays cool
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says metal conducts heat so the food heats quickly, while plastic does not conduct heat so the handle stays cool.
Check. Each part is matched to its job. ✓
Total 20 marks. Allow about 20 minutes.
Exercise 5X Practice test questions
1
FWhich material in the table is see-through, and is a type of glass? Write the words.
[1 mark]
| Material | See-through? | Conducts electricity? | Conducts heat? | Pulled by a magnet? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iron nail | no | yes | yes | yes |
| aluminium foil | no | yes | yes | no |
| copper wire | no | yes | yes | no |
| clear glass | yes | no | no | no |
| clear plastic bottle | yes | no | no | no |
| wooden block | no | no | no | no |
| rubber band | no | no | no | no |
clear glass
Method. Read the rows for glass.
- Read the rows. The clear glass row says yes for see-through.yes
- Name it. So the see-through glass is clear glass.clear glass
- Write the answer. clear glass
Check. Glass is used for windows because it is see-through. ✓
2
FWrite the word for a material that a magnet pulls towards it.[1 mark]
magnetic
Method. Read the key ideas in section 5.4.
- Read the key idea. A magnet pulls a magnetic material towards it.magnetic
- Name it. The word is magnetic.magnetic
- Write the answer. magnetic
Check. Iron and steel are magnetic. ✓
3
FWrite the word for a material that lets electricity pass through it.[1 mark]
conductor
Method. Read the key ideas in section 5.2.
- Read the key idea. A conductor lets electricity pass through it.lets electricity pass
- Name it. The word is conductor.conductor
- Write the answer. conductor
Check. Insulators do not let electricity pass through. ✓
4
FIn the spoon test, the metal spoon took 40 seconds and the plastic spoon took 150 seconds for the butter to slide off. How many seconds faster was the metal spoon? Write the number.
[2 marks]
| Spoon | Seconds for the butter to melt and slide off |
|---|---|
| metal spoon | 40 |
| plastic spoon | 150 |
| wooden spoon | 180 |
110
Method. Subtract the metal time from the plastic time.
- Read the times. The plastic spoon took 150 seconds, and the metal spoon took 40 seconds.150 and 40
- Subtract. The difference is 150 minus 40, which is 110.150 - 40 = 110
- Write the answer. 110
Check. Check: 40 + 110 = 150. ✓
5
FLook at the scratch test in section 5.1. Work out the total number of scratches on the test board. Write the number.
[2 marks]
| Material | Number of scratches on the test board |
|---|---|
| clear glass | 0 |
| wooden block | 3 |
| iron nail | 2 |
5
Method. Add the three counts.
- Add the counts. The counts are 0, 3 and 2.0 + 3 + 2
- Find the total. The total is 5 scratches.5
- Write the answer. 5
Check. Check: 3 + 2 = 5. ✓
6
FName two materials from the table in section 5.4 that a magnet does not pull. Write the two names.
[2 marks]
| Material | See-through? | Conducts electricity? | Conducts heat? | Pulled by a magnet? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iron nail | no | yes | yes | yes |
| aluminium foil | no | yes | yes | no |
| copper wire | no | yes | yes | no |
| clear glass | yes | no | no | no |
| clear plastic bottle | yes | no | no | no |
| wooden block | no | no | no | no |
| rubber band | no | no | no | no |
aluminium foil and copper wire
Method. Read the magnet column.
- Read the column. The rows that say no for pulled by a magnet include aluminium foil and copper wire.no
- Name two. Two materials that a magnet does not pull are aluminium foil and copper wire.two names
- Write the answer. aluminium foil and copper wire
Check. Accept any two of: aluminium foil, copper wire, clear glass, clear plastic bottle, wooden block, rubber band. ✓
7
RExplain why a metal base is used on a saucepan, using evidence from the spoon test. Write one sentence.[3 marks]
Accept any sentence that says metal conducts heat well, as the metal spoon melted the butter fastest, so the food heats up quickly.
Method. Use the evidence from the spoon test.
- Read the evidence. The metal spoon melted the butter fastest.40 seconds
- Write the reason. So a metal base conducts heat into the food quickly.conducts heat
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says metal conducts heat well, as the metal spoon melted the butter fastest, so the food heats up quickly.
Check. The test is the evidence for the reason. ✓
8
PSPriya says: “Copper is a metal, so a magnet will pull it.” Is Priya right? Write no, and give one reason from the table in section 5.4.
[2 marks]
| Material | See-through? | Conducts electricity? | Conducts heat? | Pulled by a magnet? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| iron nail | no | yes | yes | yes |
| aluminium foil | no | yes | yes | no |
| copper wire | no | yes | yes | no |
| clear glass | yes | no | no | no |
| clear plastic bottle | yes | no | no | no |
| wooden block | no | no | no | no |
| rubber band | no | no | no | no |
no. Accept any reason that says copper wire is not pulled by a magnet in the table, so it is not magnetic.
Method. Read the copper wire row.
- Read the row. The copper wire row says no for pulled by a magnet.no
- Give the reason. So copper is not magnetic, even though it is a metal.not magnetic
- Write the answer. no. Accept any reason that says copper wire is not pulled by a magnet in the table, so it is not magnetic.
Check. Not all metals are magnetic. ✓
9
RExplain why a window is made of clear glass, but a wooden table is not. Write one sentence.[3 marks]
Accept any sentence that says glass is transparent, so light comes in, while wood is opaque and a table needs to be strong.
Method. Compare the properties.
- Think about the window. A window needs to be transparent, so light comes in.transparent
- Think about the table. A wooden table is opaque and strong, so it does not need to let light through.opaque
- Write the answer. Accept any sentence that says glass is transparent, so light comes in, while wood is opaque and a table needs to be strong.
Check. Each material is matched to its job. ✓
10
RA student says: “If a material is hard, it must also conduct electricity.” Is the student right? Write no, and give one reason from the tests in this chapter.[3 marks]
no. Accept any reason that says hardness and conductivity are different properties, so a hard material may not conduct electricity, such as wood.
Method. Compare the properties.
- Think about the wood. The wooden block is tested for hardness and does not conduct electricity.does not conduct
- Give the reason. Hardness and conductivity are different properties, tested separately.different properties
- Write the answer. no. Accept any reason that says hardness and conductivity are different properties, so a hard material may not conduct electricity, such as wood.
Check. Each property must be tested on its own. ✓