Year 5 Properties and Changes of Materials Worksheet - Intermediate

Year 5 Properties and Changes of Materials worksheet for Year 5 (Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)). Intermediate level science practice, aligned to the UK National Curriculum. Print-ready with answer key included.

Science•Key Stage 2 / Year 3-6 (Ages 7-11)•Materialsintermediate

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Materials Detectives: Properties and Changes

Year 5 | Ages 9–10 | Intermediate

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Instructions: Explore how materials behave by comparing their properties, investigating dissolving and separation, and deciding whether changes can be reversed. Read each question carefully and use the evidence given to explain your answers. Write clearly in each answer box.

Compare the Properties

Use the information in the table to compare the materials. A transparent material lets light pass through so objects can be seen clearly. Give a reason from the table whenever you can.

Material	Hardness	Solubility in water	Transparency	Electrical conductivity
Copper	Hard	Does not dissolve	Opaque	Conducts
Glass	Hard	Does not dissolve	Transparent	Does not conduct
Polystyrene	Soft	Does not dissolve	Opaque	Does not conduct
Sugar	Soft	Dissolves	Opaque	Does not conduct

1. Which material is both hard and electrically conductive?

2. Which material would be most suitable for a clear window?

3. Name one material in the table that dissolves in water.

4. Why would copper be a suitable material for an electrical wire?

Dissolving: What Does the Evidence Show?

A soluble substance dissolves to form a solution; an insoluble substance does not. Use the results below to answer each question. Remember that stirring or warming may change how quickly a substance dissolves, but does not change whether it is soluble.

A class added one spoonful of each solid to separate beakers containing the same amount of water, then stirred each beaker.

Salt: no solid remained visible.

Sand: grains settled at the bottom.

Sugar: no solid remained visible.

Flour: cloudy water formed, and some flour settled.

1. Which two solids dissolved in the water?

2. Which two solids were insoluble in this test?

3. A pupil says, “The sand dissolved because it disappeared when I stirred.” Explain why this conclusion is incorrect.

4. What could the class do to check whether the dissolved salt is still in the solution?

Choose a Separation Method

Select the method that best separates each mixture. Sieving separates solids of different sizes, filtering separates an insoluble solid from a liquid, and evaporation can recover a dissolved solid from a solution. Explain your choice using the properties of the materials.

1. A mixture of dry rice and flour needs separating. Which method is most suitable, and why?

2. Muddy water contains insoluble soil. Which method could remove most of the soil?

3. Salt has dissolved completely in water. Which method could recover the salt?

4. A mixture contains small stones and water. Which method would separate the stones from the water?

Reversible or Irreversible?

A reversible change can be undone to recover the original material. An irreversible change makes a new material or cannot easily be undone. Classify each change and give a brief reason.

1. Ice melts into liquid water. Is this reversible or irreversible? Give a reason.

2. A chocolate bar melts and then cools until it is solid again. Is this reversible or irreversible?

3. Paper burns and forms ash and smoke. Is this reversible or irreversible? Give a reason.

4. An iron nail rusts after being left outside. Is this reversible or irreversible?

Investigate a Mixture

Read the investigation carefully and answer using the evidence provided. Think about which substances dissolve, which do not, and how their properties help you choose a separation sequence.

A beaker contains water, dissolved sugar and small stones. The stones do not dissolve in water, but the sugar does.

1. Which separation method should be used first to remove the stones?

2. After the stones are removed, what is the name of the mixture left in the beaker?

3. Which method could be used to recover the sugar from the mixture left behind?

4. Explain why filtering alone cannot recover the dissolved sugar.

Explain the Change

Use what you know about materials to complete these short explanations. Include the important scientific idea in each answer rather than giving only a one-word response.

1. A pupil mixes salt and water. The salt seems to disappear. Explain what has happened to the salt.

2. A mixture of sand and water is poured through filter paper. Explain why the sand stays behind.

3. A puddle of salty water is left in a warm place until the water is gone. What remains, and what has happened to the water?

4. An egg is cooked. Explain why this is an irreversible change.

Answer Key

Activity 1: 1. Copper ; 2. Glass ; 3. Sugar ; 4. Copper conducts electricity, so it is suitable for carrying electric current in a wire.

Activity 2: 1. Salt and sugar ; 2. Sand and flour ; 3. Stirring can spread the sand through the water, but it does not dissolve; the grains settle when left to stand. ; 4. Evaporate the water and check whether solid salt crystals remain.

Activity 3: 1. Sieving, because flour passes through the holes while larger rice grains remain. ; 2. Filtering, because insoluble soil is trapped by the filter while water passes through. ; 3. Evaporation, because the water evaporates and salt remains. ; 4. Filtering, because the stones are insoluble solids that can be trapped while water passes through.

Activity 4: 1. Reversible; the water can be frozen back into ice. ; 2. Reversible; cooling makes the melted chocolate solid again. ; 3. Irreversible; burning forms new materials such as ash and smoke, and the paper cannot be recovered. ; 4. Irreversible; rust is a new material formed from iron reacting with oxygen and water.

Activity 5: 1. Filtering ; 2. A sugar solution (sugar dissolved in water) ; 3. Evaporation ; 4. Dissolved sugar passes through the filter with the water, so filtering cannot separate it from the solution.

Activity 6: 1. The salt dissolved and spread through the water to form a solution; it is still present even though it cannot be seen. ; 2. Sand is insoluble and its particles are too large to pass through the filter paper. ; 3. Sugar-free? No: salt remains as a solid; the water evaporated into the air. ; 4. Cooking changes the egg and forms materials that cannot be changed back into the raw egg.