Properties of Matter: SC.5.P.8.

3
1) George's science teacher has a mixture of table salt and iron filings. Which of the
following would be the best way to separate the salt and the iron filings?
A.
B.
C.
D.

use a magnet to pull the iron filings from the salt

add food coloring to the mixture to make the salt change color
pour them into a beaker of water and see if the iron filings float
heat up the mixture to see if the salt or the iron filings will burn away

2) Carrie has a container that contains thousands of mixed glass beads and iron
beads of different shapes and sizes. Which of the following is the best way to
separate them?
A. The glass beads will float, so she could add water to the container and the
glass will float to the top.
B. The iron beads are magnetic, so she could separate the glass from the iron
with a strong magnet.
C. The iron beads might be heavier, so she could shake the container until the
iron beads settle to the bottom.
D. The iron beads are smaller, so she could pour the beads through a strainer
and the glass beads will separate.

3) Imagine you have a bucket of saltwater. Which of the following would be the best
way to remove the water so that you're left with only salt?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Stir the saltwater for a long time. The salt will form a crystal.
Leave the saltwater to sit for a long time. The salt will settle to the bottom.
Boil the saltwater. The water will evaporate and only the salt will remain.
Freeze the saltwater. The water will sink to the bottom and the salt will rise
to the top.

4) Abdul uses sugar cubes to sweeten his tea. He wonders whether stirring his tea
will make the sugar cube dissolve faster or slower. If Abdul stirs his tea, what effect
does it have on the rate at which the sugar cube dissolves?
A.
B.
C.
D.

The
The
The
The

rate
rate
rate
rate

that
that
that
that

the
the
the
the

sugar
sugar
sugar
sugar

cube
cube
cube
cube

dissolves
dissolves
dissolves
dissolves

will
will
will
will

speed up.
slow down.
remain the same.
slow down and then stop.

Properties of Matter: SC.5.P.8.3

5) Which of the following solids will not dissolve in boiling water?
A.
B.
C.
D.

baking soda
sand
sugar
table salt

6) Imagine that you have four buckets full of dark, muddy water. One bucket is
frozen, one bucket is boiled, one bucket is shaken up, and one bucket is passed
through a paper filter. Which bucket is most likely to become lighter in color?
A.
B.
C.
D.

The
The
The
The

frozen bucket, because the mud separates from the water.

shaken bucket, because shaking causes the mud to dissolve.
boiled bucket, because the dirt in the muddy water evaporates.
filtered bucket, because larger particles of dirt were strained out.

7) Jason has a mixed container of iron pellets, foam pellets, glass pellets, and salt
pellets. He needs to do the following things to separate these solids:
A.
B.
C.
D.

Add water to the container and stir to dissolve the salt.

Heat the water until it evaporates and leaves the salt.
Remove the iron pellets with a magnet.
Collect the floating foam pellets and the glass ones that have stuck to the
bottom.

Which answer choice puts these steps in the correct order?

A.
B.
C.
D.

A, C, B, D
C, A, D, B
D, A, B, C
B, D, C, A

Properties of Matter: SC.5.P.8.3

8) Imagine a thick ten-kilogram block of soap and a thin ten-kilogram sheet of soap.
Which answer correctly explains which will dissolve first when they are both placed
underwater?
A.
B.
C.
D.

The sheet will dissolve first because it has more surface area.
The sheet will dissolve first because it has less mass than the block.
The block will dissolve first because it is less spread out than the sheet.
The sheet and the block weigh the same, so they will take the same
amount of time to dissolve.

9) Kayla wants to know if a sugar cube in a bowl of water will dissolve more quickly
if it is stirred with a spoon than if it is left alone. Which answer explains the effect
that stirring will have?
A. Stirring makes the sugar move around, and it dissolves more slowly
because it is not staying still.
B. The sugar will dissolve more slowly because the movement of the water
makes it stick together.
C. The sugar dissolves more quickly because the motion of the spoon creates
heat, which melts the sugar.
D. When the sugar is stirred, more surface area will come into contact with
the water, so the sugar dissolves more quickly.

10) Sam drops a sugar cube weighing one gram in a cup of cold water and lets it sit
until the sugar cube dissolves. Malcolm adds one gram of powdered sugar to a cup
of hot water and stirs it with a spoon. Rosa adds a one-gram packet of sugar
granules to a cup of cold water and stirs it with a spoon. Angela adds a sugar crystal
weighing one gram to a cup of hot water and does not stir it.

Whose sugar is most likely to dissolve the fastest, and whose is slowest?
A.
B.
C.
D.

Malcolm's sugar dissolves fastest, and Sam's dissolves slowest.

Rosa's sugar dissolves fastest, and Malcolm's dissolves slowest.
Sam's sugar dissolves fastest, and Angela's dissolves slowest.
Angela's sugar dissolves fastest, and Rosa's dissolves slowest.

Properties of Matter: SC.5.P.8.3

ANSWER KEY
1.A
2.B
3.C
4.A
5.B
6.D
7.B
8.A
9.D
10. A