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5th grade · Science · Unit 2 of 12

Solid, Liquid, Gas

Mass, volume and particles

What your child practices

Matter as anything with mass and volume, how particles are arranged in solids, liquids and gases, and why materials are chosen for their properties.

New York State Learning Standards learning standard: 5-PS1-1 · matter made of particles too small to see

How we explain it

Children can open this short lesson before they practice.

  1. Matter is anything that has mass and takes up space.
  2. A solid keeps its shape and volume. A liquid takes the shape of its container but keeps its volume.
  3. A gas spreads out to fill its whole container.
  4. We choose materials for their properties, like steel for strong bridges.

Example: Juice is poured from a tall glass into a wide bowl. What stays the same? A liquid changes shape to fit its container. It keeps the same volume. Answer: its volume

Solid, Liquid, Gas in New York

In the New York State Learning Standards, this is unit 2 of 12 in 5th grade Science, after Solutions & Mixtures and before Changes of State.

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: New York State Education Department (NYSED)

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

    Matter is anything that…

    • has mass and takes up space
    • can be seen
    • is alive

  2. Question 2

    Which state of matter takes the shape of its container but keeps the same volume?

    • Solid
    • Gas
    • Liquid

  3. Question 3

    In which state are particles packed closely and only vibrate in place?

    • Solid
    • Liquid
    • Gas

  4. Question 4

    Which tool measures the mass of an object?

    • A balance
    • A thermometer
    • A graduated cylinder

  5. Question 5

    Juice is poured from a tall glass into a wide bowl. What happens to its volume?

    • It gets bigger
    • It gets smaller
    • It stays the same

  6. Question 6

    A plastic bottle holds 500 mL of water. The cap is on. If you squeeze the sides, what happens to the volume of the water?

    • It drops to about 250 mL
    • It stays about 500 mL
    • It doubles

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