Grade 5 scientists explore how matter can change in two main ways: physical changes and chemical changes (NGSS 5-PS1). In a physical change, the form of a substance changes but the substance itself stays the same. State changes such as ice melting into water or water boiling into vapor are physical changes, and so is dissolving sugar in tea, cutting paper into shapes, or folding a napkin. These changes are usually reversible because the original substance can be recovered. In a chemical change, a new substance with new properties is formed. Iron rusting, wood burning, cookies baking, and leaves changing color in autumn are all chemical changes. Signs of chemical change include color change, the production of a gas (bubbles), the release of light or heat, an unusual smell, or the formation of a new solid called a precipitate. The law of conservation of matter tells us that during any change — physical or chemical — atoms are rearranged but never created or destroyed, so the total mass stays the same. Grade 5 students also study mixtures, where substances can be separated physically, and solutions, where one substance dissolves evenly into another.

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Browse all 12 printable worksheets below — click any card to open the full page.

Easy
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. When water freezes into ice, this is called a  
2. Boiling water turns into water vapor, a gas; this state change is  
3. When salt mixes evenly into water, the salt has  
4. Folding a sheet of paper into an airplane changes its  
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Chemical and Physical Changes
Easy
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. When leaves change color in fall, chemicals inside the leaf break down, which is a  
2. A nail left outside in the rain forms a reddish-brown coating called  
3. When wood burns, the new substance  
4. Chemical changes are usually  
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Chemical and Physical Changes
Easy
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Melting butter on a pan is a  
2. Tearing paper into strips changes its shape but not its  
3. When a puddle dries up after the rain, the water  
4. Crushing chalk into powder is a  
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Chemical and Physical Changes
Easy
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. When food is digested in your stomach, it goes through a  
2. The fizzing bubbles when vinegar meets baking soda are made of  
3. Plants use sunlight to combine water and carbon dioxide into  
4. The  
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.

Chemical and Physical Changes
Medium
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. Bubbles forming when vinegar is poured on baking soda show that a  
2. When a glow stick lights up after bending, the production of  
3. If a reaction makes the test tube feel warmer, energy is being released as  
4. A sour or rotten  
5. When two clear liquids are mixed and a solid forms at the bottom, that solid is called a  
6. The law of  
7. If 10 grams of baking soda reacts with 20 grams of vinegar in a sealed bag, the total mass after the reaction is  
8. The starting substances in a chemical reaction are called  
9. A surprising  
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Bubbles in vinegar and baking soda
→
Light produced as a sign of chemical change
Glow stick lighting up
→
Conservation of matter in a reaction
10 g + 20 g sealed reaction equals 30 g
→
Reactants forming a new product
Iron and oxygen combine to form rust
→
Gas produced as a sign of chemical change

Chemical and Physical Changes
Medium
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. In the reaction between baking soda and vinegar, baking soda and vinegar are the  
2. The new substances formed after a chemical reaction are called  
3. Before a chemical reaction, 50 grams of reactants are sealed in a flask; after the reaction, the total mass must still be  
4. When a candle burns, wax and  
5. If a chemical change releases heat, scientists describe the reaction as  
6. A change that absorbs energy and feels colder is called an  
7. Mixing a clear silver nitrate solution with a clear salt solution forms a white solid called a  
8. Even though a wooden log seems to disappear when it burns, the matter is not lost — it has changed into ash, gases, and  
9. Chemical reactions rearrange  
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Substances that go into a reaction
→
Conservation of matter
Substances formed by a reaction
→
Precipitate formation
Total mass stays the same in a sealed reaction
→
Reactants
White solid forms from two clear liquids
→
Products

Chemical and Physical Changes
Medium
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. If 16 grams of one reactant combines with 8 grams of another, the products will weigh  
2. A starting substance in a chemical reaction is called a  
3. If 50 grams of vinegar reacts with 5 grams of baking soda in a sealed bag, the bag still weighs  
4. When wood burns in an open fire, the ash weighs less because gases like carbon  
5. The new substance formed during a chemical reaction is called a  
6. If 10 grams of hydrogen reacts with 80 grams of oxygen to form water, the water weighs  
7. Mass is neither created nor destroyed; it is  
8. When iron rusts, it gains mass because oxygen from the  
9. If 12 grams of carbon burns completely with 32 grams of oxygen, the product weighs exactly  
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Total mass of 5g + 7g reactants
→
Reactant
Word for starting materials
→
12 grams
Word for new substances formed
→
Conservation
Mass law during reactions
→
Product

Chemical and Physical Changes
Medium
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. To separate iron filings from sand, you can use a strong  
2. Pouring muddy water through paper traps the dirt and lets clean water pass; this method is called  
3. When salt water sits in the sun, the water turns to vapor and salt is left behind through  
4. A kitchen sieve can separate flour from rice through a process called  
5. The clear liquid that passes through a coffee filter is called the  
6. The solid material left behind on filter paper after filtering muddy water is called the  
7. To separate a mixture of sugar and pebbles, you could dissolve the sugar in water, then  
8. Separating mixtures is a  
9. Iron filings stuck to a magnet can be wiped off and used again because separation is  
Part B: Matching
Match each item on the left to the correct answer on the right.
1. Match each item to its correct answer.
Iron filings from sand
→
Sifting
Mud from water
→
Magnet
Salt from saltwater
→
Filtering
Flour from rice grains
→
Evaporation

Chemical and Physical Changes
Hard
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. A Grade 5 student mixes sand and salt in a bowl. Which method best separates them?
2. Which best describes salt water as a type of mixture?
3. A baker notices the cake batter has risen, browned, and smells different after baking. Which change happened?
4. Which scenario is a physical change rather than a chemical change?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. A  
2. When salt dissolves evenly in water, the result is called a  
3. To get the salt back from salt water, you can  
4. Mixing iron filings and sand can be separated using a  
5. Because mixtures and solutions can be separated again, mixing two substances together is usually a  

Chemical and Physical Changes
Hard
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Which observation is the strongest evidence that a chemical change has happened?
2. A student burns a piece of paper and weighs the leftover ash. The ash weighs less than the paper. What happened to the missing mass?
3. Which everyday example shows BOTH a physical change and a chemical change?
4. Two clear liquids are mixed in a beaker. Which result best shows that a chemical change took place?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. When a bike chain rusts in the rain, it has gone through a  
2. When a popsicle melts in the sun, it has gone through a  
3. Sour milk smells bad because tiny living things have caused a  
4. Crushing a soda can changes its shape but not the metal it is made of, so it is a  
5. By the law of  

Chemical and Physical Changes
Hard
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. If you add a few drops of food coloring to a glass of water, what type of change has occurred and why?
2. A student lights a birthday candle and the wax slowly drips down the side. Which statement best describes the changes?
3. Predict what happens when you mix milk and lemon juice and the milk forms small white clumps.
4. A scientist mixes two clear liquids and a yellow solid suddenly forms at the bottom. What does this tell her?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. An apple slice turning brown after sitting in air is caused by  
2. Burning a candle wick is a type of chemical change called  
3. Bending a paperclip changes its shape but not its substance, making this a  
4. When iron reacts with oxygen and water, the new orange substance that forms is called iron  
5. The starting substances in a chemical reaction are called  

Chemical and Physical Changes
Hard
Busy Bee
Chemical and Physical Changes
Name:
Date:
Grade: Grade 5
Part A: Multiple Choice
Circle the best answer for each question.
1. Mia wants to test if heating sugar causes a chemical change. Which result would best prove a chemical change happened?
2. To test whether mixing two substances is a chemical change, which observation would be the strongest evidence?
3. Which experiment best tests whether dissolving salt in water is a physical or chemical change?
4. Leo wants fair evidence about whether a reaction conserves mass. What is the most important step in his experiment?
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the correct answer on each line.
1. In a fair experiment, you should change only one  
2. To prove a chemical change happened, look for clues like new color, gas bubbles, smell, or new  
3. To check conservation of mass, weigh the reactants before mixing and weigh the  
4. Before doing an experiment, scientists make a  
5. When testing reactions, using a sealed bag prevents new gas  

Chemical and Physical Changes

What's Included in This Download

12 Printable Pages covering chemical and physical changes
Complete Answer Key for easy grading
Printer-Friendly Format in black & white
Variety of Activities to keep kids engaged
Common Core Aligned grade 5 standards
Instant PDF Download - no signup required

What You'll Learn

These chemical and physical changes worksheets help grade 5 students develop essential science skills through engaging activities.

How to Use These Worksheets

  1. Download & Print: Click the download button to get the PDF. Print on standard 8.5" x 11" paper.
  2. Start Simple: Begin with easier pages before moving to more challenging activities.
  3. Daily Practice: Dedicate 10-15 minutes each day for consistent learning.
  4. Use Manipulatives: Pair worksheets with physical objects like blocks or counters.
  5. Provide Encouragement: Celebrate progress and effort to build confidence.
  6. Check Progress: Use the included answer key to review work together.

Common Mistakes to Watch For

  • Grade 5 students sometimes think dissolving creates a new substance, but dissolving is a physical change because the original material can still be recovered, like getting salt back by evaporating salt water.
  • Many fifth graders forget that when something burns, mass is not destroyed — it just leaves as smoke and gases, which still follow the law of conservation of matter.
  • Students often confuse melting with chemical change because the substance looks different, but melting only changes the state, so it is always a physical change.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between physical and chemical changes?

A physical change alters the form, shape, size, or state of a substance, but the substance itself stays the same — like ice melting or paper being torn. A chemical change creates a brand new substance with new properties, such as iron rusting or wood burning, and is usually irreversible.

What are the main signs of a chemical change for Grade 5 students?

The main signs are a color change, gas bubbles forming, light or heat being given off, an unexpected smell, and a new solid (precipitate) appearing. Seeing one or more of these clues usually means a chemical reaction has happened and a new substance has formed.

What is the law of conservation of matter?

The law of conservation of matter says that matter cannot be created or destroyed, only rearranged. In a sealed reaction, the total mass of the reactants always equals the total mass of the products, even if the substances look very different afterward.

How are mixtures different from solutions?

A mixture is any combination of two or more substances that are not chemically joined, like sand and salt. A solution is a special mixture in which one substance dissolves evenly into another, like salt in water. Both can be separated using physical methods such as filtering or evaporating.

Are physical changes always reversible for fifth graders to understand?

Most physical changes are reversible because the substance does not change. Frozen water can be melted, water vapor can be cooled back to liquid, and dissolved sugar can be recovered by evaporating water. A few physical changes, like cutting paper, cannot be undone but still do not form a new substance.

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Yes! All our worksheets are 100% free to download and print. There's no subscription, no hidden fees, and no registration required.

Can I use these in my classroom?

Absolutely! Teachers are welcome to print and use these worksheets in their classrooms. Make as many copies as needed for your students.

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