Do water molecules really disappear when a puddle dries up? Fifth graders fix that misconception and others, including the idea that solid particles 'spread far apart' or that gases have a fixed shape like solids do.
Students name sublimation, condensation, and melting as phase changes, explain why a liquid keeps its volume but takes the shape of its container, and compare how particles slide in liquids versus zoom in all directions in gases. These prompts give fifth graders the particle-level picture they need to explain everyday changes like evaporating puddles and melting ice.
Style:
Properties of Matter
Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. Fix the sentence:
Particles in a solid move quickly and spread far apart from each other.
Rewrite: Particles in a solid vibrate in place and are packed closely together.
2. Fix the sentence:
A gas has a fixed shape and a fixed volume just like a solid does.
Rewrite: A gas has no fixed shape and no fixed volume because its particles spread out to fill any container.
3. Fix the sentence:
When water evaporates, the water molecules are destroyed and disappear forever.
Rewrite: When water evaporates, the water molecules change from liquid to gas but are not destroyed. They move into the air.
Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1. A liquid has a fixed volume but takes the shape of its container.
2. The change from a solid directly to a gas without becoming a liquid is called sublimation.
3. Adding thermal energy to a solid can cause it to melt and become a liquid.
4. When a gas loses energy and changes to a liquid, the process is called condensation.
Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1. Compare how particles move in a liquid versus a gas.
In a liquid, particles slide past each other and stay close together but can change positions. In a gas, particles move very fast in all directions and spread far apart to fill the entire container.
2. Why does a puddle of water disappear on a warm sunny day even though nobody heated it on a stove?
The sun provides thermal energy to the water molecules in the puddle. Some molecules at the surface gain enough energy to escape into the air as water vapor, which is the process of evaporation.
Properties of Matter
★ Part A: Fix the Sentence
Each sentence has an error. Rewrite it correctly on the line.
1) Fix the sentence:
Particles in a solid move quickly and spread far apart from each other.
Rewrite: Particles in a solid vibrate in place and are packed closely together.
2) Fix the sentence:
A gas has a fixed shape and a fixed volume just like a solid does.
Rewrite: A gas has no fixed shape and no fixed volume because its particles spread out to fill any container.
3) Fix the sentence:
When water evaporates, the water molecules are destroyed and disappear forever.
Rewrite: When water evaporates, the water molecules change from liquid to gas but are not destroyed. They move into the air.
★ Part B: Fill in the Blank
Write the missing word or number on each line.
1) A liquid has a fixed volume but takes the shape of its container.
2) The change from a solid directly to a gas without becoming a liquid is called sublimation.
3) Adding thermal energy to a solid can cause it to melt and become a liquid.
4) When a gas loses energy and changes to a liquid, the process is called condensation.
★ Part C: Short Answer
Answer each question in one or two complete sentences.
1) Compare how particles move in a liquid versus a gas.
In a liquid, particles slide past each other and stay close together but can change positions. In a gas, particles move very fast in all directions and spread far apart to fill the entire container.
2) Why does a puddle of water disappear on a warm sunny day even though nobody heated it on a stove?
The sun provides thermal energy to the water molecules in the puddle. Some molecules at the surface gain enough energy to escape into the air as water vapor, which is the process of evaporation.
Ready to Practice?
Complete each section carefully.
9 Questions
15-20 minutes
Auto-graded
Retry anytime
🏆
Questions Correct
0
Correct
0
Incorrect
0
Skipped
0:00
Time
0%
Score
Review Your Answers
See what you got right, missed, or skipped.