Testing Whether Air Is Matter is a free printable Grade 5 science worksheet on using test results as evidence that air takes up space and has mass, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 5-PS1-1. It prints 7 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 1 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Results from four tests the class ran on air, each done twice.
FOUR TESTS ON AIR
Syringe, end blocked: plunger pushed from 20 ml to 12 ml, then sprang back to 20 ml when let go
Soccer ball weighed flat: 418 g. Weighed again after pumping it hard: 423 g
Cup with a tissue in it, pushed upside down into water: the tissue stayed dry
The same cup tilted under water: bubbles rose and water went into the cup
Sealed empty plastic bottle left in a freezer for an hour: its sides pulled in a little
1. How much did the soccer ball weigh after it was pumped hard?
2. Why did the tissue stay dry?
3. Why was each test done twice?
4. Why did the plunger spring back when it was let go?
2.A windmill's sails turn. What makes them move?
A.Electricity from the windmill
B.Sunlight on the sails
C.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails
3.A blown-up balloon is let go with its neck open. Why does it shoot off?
A.Gravity pulls it sideways
B.The balloon is magnetic
C.Air rushing out pushes it the other way
4.Why does a bicycle tire feel hard when it is pumped up?
A.It is packed with air pushing outwards
B.The tire is empty
C.The rubber has frozen
5.Why do divers carry tanks of air underwater?
A.Air can be squeezed into a tank, and they need it to breathe
B.The tanks make them sink faster
C.There is air in the sea for them already
6.A kite stays up on a windy day. What is holding it up?
A.The string pushing it up
B.Moving air pushing against it
C.Nothing at all
7.Why can you feel the air when you wave your hand quickly?
A.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
B.Your hand makes the air
C.Air can only be felt outdoors
LessonPrint · 5-PS1-1 · Set 1 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Testing Whether Air Is Matter
Set 1. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. 423 g. 2. Air trapped in the cup filled it, so the water could not get in. 3. So one odd result could not mislead the class about the tests. 4. The air squeezed inside pushed back as it spread out again.
2.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails
3.Air rushing out pushes it the other way
4.It is packed with air pushing outwards
5.Air can be squeezed into a tank, and they need it to breathe
6.Moving air pushing against it
7.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
Questions about Testing Whether Air Is Matter
What does the Testing Whether Air Is Matter worksheet cover?
It practices using test results as evidence that air takes up space and has mass — 7 questions for Grade 5, all on NGSS 5-PS1-1: Model matter as particles far too small to see. The instruction to students is “Read the record, then answer the questions”, and the answer key follows on the next sheet.
Which NGSS performance expectation does Testing Whether Air Is Matter practice?
5-PS1-1, under Physical Science for Grade 5. The published performance expectation reads: “Develop a model to describe that matter is made of particles too small to be seen.” The worksheet assesses that performance expectation rather than a paraphrase of it.
What age or grade is this worksheet for?
Testing Whether Air Is Matter is written for Grade 5, typically ages 10-11. It is one of the sheets on 5-PS1-1, so it suits any student working at that standard — including older students revisiting it and younger ones working ahead.
Does Testing Whether Air Is Matter come with an answer key?
Yes. All 7 answers are generated from the same problems as the questions, so the key cannot drift out of step with the sheet. It starts on a fresh sheet of paper, after the questions, so it is not handed out with the class by accident.
How many different versions of Testing Whether Air Is Matter can I print?
25 — one per student, and all 25 ask different questions. Set 1 downloads the whole class as a single PDF. Every version is fixed to its own address, so a sheet printed today holds the same problems when you reopen it next week.
Is Testing Whether Air Is Matter free to print and photocopy?
Yes. Testing Whether Air Is Matter, its answer key and its 25 versions are free to print and photocopy for your own class, with no account, no email capture and no subscription at the download step. Please do not resell them or republish them as your own.