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5th grade · Science · Unit 5 of 10

Measuring Matter

Mass, volume, density and particles

What your child practices

Measuring mass (grams, kilograms) and volume (milliliters, liters), comparing density, why gases compress and solids do not, and how the particle model explains it.

Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards benchmark: 5P.1.2.1.2 · choosing tools and methods to identify materials by their properties

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Mass is the amount of matter in something. Volume is the space it takes up.
  2. Density compares mass to volume. A lead cube is denser than a wood cube of the same size.
  3. Gas particles are far apart, so a gas can be squeezed. Liquids and solids hardly squeeze.

Example: Two same-size blocks: steel and foam. Which has greater density? They have the same volume. The steel block has much more mass packed into it. Answer: the steel block

Measuring Matter in Minnesota

In the Minnesota K-12 Academic Standards, this is unit 5 of 10 in 5th grade Science, after Physical or Chemical? and before Ecosystems & Food Chains.

Gradelings describes a child's practice on this unit as Beginning, Approaching, Meeting or Exceeding (Four practice steps). That reflects practice, not a report-card mark: the teacher decides the mark.

Source: Minnesota Department of Education (MDE)

Sample questions

A taste of this unit. In the app, questions change every time and get easier or harder to match your child.

  1. Question 1

    In a gas, the particles…

    💨
    • do not have any space between them
    • are far apart and move in all directions
    • are packed tightly together
    • vibrate in place

  2. Question 2

    Why can air be compressed more than water?

    • Water has no particles
    • Air particles do not move
    • Gas particles are far apart, so they can be pushed closer together
    • Water particles are bigger

  3. Question 3

    All matter is made up of…

    • empty space only
    • particles that never move
    • smooth, solid blocks
    • tiny particles that are always moving

  4. Question 4

    Mass is the amount of…

    • space something takes up
    • matter in something
    • force on something
    • heat in something

  5. Question 5

    A student wants to find out which of two liquids is denser. What should be the same for both?

    • the volume of each liquid
    • the color of each liquid
    • the room's air
    • the name on the bottle

  6. Question 6

    A 100 mL sample of liquid A has a mass of 90 g. A 100 mL sample of liquid B has a mass of 120 g. Which is denser?

    • it cannot be known
    • they are the same
    • liquid A
    • liquid B

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