Identify everyday materials such as glass, metal, wood and rubber from their physical properties. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.
Choose “Save as PDF” to keep a copy. Use your browser’s paper setting for A4 or Letter.
Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6
Everyday materials & properties
Take your time. Show your thinking.
1. Which material is a good conductor of electricity and is used inside electrical wires: copper or rubber?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
2. Does sand dissolve when stirred into a glass of water, or is it insoluble and settles to the bottom?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
3. Which property describes a material like ceramic or glass that shatters easily when dropped: brittle or flexible?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
4. Which material is harder in a scratch test: diamond or chalk?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
5. Which property describes a material like a rubber band that stretches when pulled and returns to its original shape: elastic or rigid?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
6. What do we call a material like frosted glass that lets some light through but scatters it so you cannot see clearly through it: translucent or opaque?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
7. Which property describes a material like a sponge or cotton towel that soaks up water: absorbent or waterproof?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
8. Which material comes from the fleece of sheep and is spun into warm yarn: wool or nylon?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
9. Why is expanded polystyrene or woollen fleece used as thermal insulation: trapped air pockets slow down heat transfer, or it generates electricity?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
10. What happens when salt or sugar is stirred into warm water: it dissolves to form a solution, or it turns into metal?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
11. Which property of metals allows them to be hammered or rolled into thin sheets (such as aluminium foil) without shattering: malleability or solubility?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
12. Which natural material comes from the trunks of trees and floats on water: wood or granite?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
12 questions · Seed 104733 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
View the answer key
Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6
Everyday materials & properties
Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.
1. Which material is a good conductor of electricity and is used inside electrical wires: copper or rubber?
Copper
Copper is a ductile metal with high electrical conductivity; rubber is used for the outer insulating sheath.
2. Does sand dissolve when stirred into a glass of water, or is it insoluble and settles to the bottom?
Insoluble and settles to the bottom
Sand (silicon dioxide) is insoluble in water and can be separated by filtration.
3. Which property describes a material like ceramic or glass that shatters easily when dropped: brittle or flexible?
Brittle
Brittle materials crack or shatter under impact rather than bending.
4. Which material is harder in a scratch test: diamond or chalk?
Diamond
Diamond is the hardest known natural mineral (10 on the Mohs scale) and easily scratches chalk.
5. Which property describes a material like a rubber band that stretches when pulled and returns to its original shape: elastic or rigid?
Elastic
Elastic materials deform under force and spring back when released.
6. What do we call a material like frosted glass that lets some light through but scatters it so you cannot see clearly through it: translucent or opaque?
Translucent
Translucent materials transmit diffuse light without forming a clear image.
7. Which property describes a material like a sponge or cotton towel that soaks up water: absorbent or waterproof?
Absorbent
Porous materials like sponges and cotton towels absorb liquids into tiny spaces.
8. Which material comes from the fleece of sheep and is spun into warm yarn: wool or nylon?
Wool
Wool is a natural animal fibre that traps air for insulation.
9. Why is expanded polystyrene or woollen fleece used as thermal insulation: trapped air pockets slow down heat transfer, or it generates electricity?
Trapped air pockets slow down heat transfer
Still air is a poor conductor of heat, so materials that trap air insulate well.
10. What happens when salt or sugar is stirred into warm water: it dissolves to form a solution, or it turns into metal?
It dissolves to form a solution
Salt and sugar are soluble in water, dispersing evenly to form a clear solution.
11. Which property of metals allows them to be hammered or rolled into thin sheets (such as aluminium foil) without shattering: malleability or solubility?
Malleability
Malleable materials can be shaped by hammering or rolling without cracking.
12. Which natural material comes from the trunks of trees and floats on water: wood or granite?
Wood
Timber is harvested from trees and is less dense than water, so it floats.
12 questions · Seed 104733 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6
Everyday materials & properties
Take your time. Show your thinking.
1. Which material is a good conductor of electricity and is used inside electrical wires: copper or rubber?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
2. Does sand dissolve when stirred into a glass of water, or is it insoluble and settles to the bottom?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
3. Which property describes a material like ceramic or glass that shatters easily when dropped: brittle or flexible?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
4. Which material is harder in a scratch test: diamond or chalk?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
5. Which property describes a material like a rubber band that stretches when pulled and returns to its original shape: elastic or rigid?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
6. What do we call a material like frosted glass that lets some light through but scatters it so you cannot see clearly through it: translucent or opaque?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
7. Which property describes a material like a sponge or cotton towel that soaks up water: absorbent or waterproof?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
8. Which material comes from the fleece of sheep and is spun into warm yarn: wool or nylon?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
9. Why is expanded polystyrene or woollen fleece used as thermal insulation: trapped air pockets slow down heat transfer, or it generates electricity?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
10. What happens when salt or sugar is stirred into warm water: it dissolves to form a solution, or it turns into metal?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
11. Which property of metals allows them to be hammered or rolled into thin sheets (such as aluminium foil) without shattering: malleability or solubility?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
12. Which natural material comes from the trunks of trees and floats on water: wood or granite?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
12 questions · Seed 104733 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6
Everyday materials & properties
Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.
1. Which material is a good conductor of electricity and is used inside electrical wires: copper or rubber?
Copper
Copper is a ductile metal with high electrical conductivity; rubber is used for the outer insulating sheath.
2. Does sand dissolve when stirred into a glass of water, or is it insoluble and settles to the bottom?
Insoluble and settles to the bottom
Sand (silicon dioxide) is insoluble in water and can be separated by filtration.
3. Which property describes a material like ceramic or glass that shatters easily when dropped: brittle or flexible?
Brittle
Brittle materials crack or shatter under impact rather than bending.
4. Which material is harder in a scratch test: diamond or chalk?
Diamond
Diamond is the hardest known natural mineral (10 on the Mohs scale) and easily scratches chalk.
5. Which property describes a material like a rubber band that stretches when pulled and returns to its original shape: elastic or rigid?
Elastic
Elastic materials deform under force and spring back when released.
6. What do we call a material like frosted glass that lets some light through but scatters it so you cannot see clearly through it: translucent or opaque?
Translucent
Translucent materials transmit diffuse light without forming a clear image.
7. Which property describes a material like a sponge or cotton towel that soaks up water: absorbent or waterproof?
Absorbent
Porous materials like sponges and cotton towels absorb liquids into tiny spaces.
8. Which material comes from the fleece of sheep and is spun into warm yarn: wool or nylon?
Wool
Wool is a natural animal fibre that traps air for insulation.
9. Why is expanded polystyrene or woollen fleece used as thermal insulation: trapped air pockets slow down heat transfer, or it generates electricity?
Trapped air pockets slow down heat transfer
Still air is a poor conductor of heat, so materials that trap air insulate well.
10. What happens when salt or sugar is stirred into warm water: it dissolves to form a solution, or it turns into metal?
It dissolves to form a solution
Salt and sugar are soluble in water, dispersing evenly to form a clear solution.
11. Which property of metals allows them to be hammered or rolled into thin sheets (such as aluminium foil) without shattering: malleability or solubility?
Malleability
Malleable materials can be shaped by hammering or rolling without cracking.
12. Which natural material comes from the trunks of trees and floats on water: wood or granite?
Wood
Timber is harvested from trees and is less dense than water, so it floats.
12 questions · Seed 104733 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification