Identify everyday materials such as glass, metal, wood and rubber from their physical properties. Review suitability for your learners before teaching.
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Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6
Everyday materials & properties
Take your time. Show your thinking.
1. 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
2. Which natural plant fibre grows in fluffy bolls and is woven into breathable shirts: cotton or aluminium?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
3. 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
4. When sugar dissolves in water, which substance is the solvent and which is the solute: water is the solvent and sugar is the solute, or sugar is the solvent?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
5. 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
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. 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
8. Why is clear glass used for window panes: because it is transparent (lets light through) or absorbent?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
9. Which material is attracted to a magnet: iron (steel) or wooden pine?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
10. Which natural material comes from the trunks of trees and floats on water: wood or granite?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
11. Why are cooking saucepans usually made of metal with a wooden or plastic handle: metal conducts heat while wood/plastic is an insulator, or wood melts easily?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
12. Which natural material is made from fine wet earth (silicate minerals) that is shaped and fired in a hot kiln to make hard pottery and tiles: clay or cork?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
12 questions · Seed 79 · 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. 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.
2. Which natural plant fibre grows in fluffy bolls and is woven into breathable shirts: cotton or aluminium?
Cotton
Cotton fibres are harvested from cotton plants and woven into fabric.
3. 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.
4. When sugar dissolves in water, which substance is the solvent and which is the solute: water is the solvent and sugar is the solute, or sugar is the solvent?
Water is the solvent and sugar is the solute
The liquid that does the dissolving is the solvent; the dissolved solid is the solute.
5. 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.
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. 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.
8. Why is clear glass used for window panes: because it is transparent (lets light through) or absorbent?
Transparent (lets light through)
Glass is transparent and waterproof, letting daylight in while keeping rain out.
9. Which material is attracted to a magnet: iron (steel) or wooden pine?
Iron (steel)
Iron and steel are ferromagnetic metals; wood is non-magnetic.
10. 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.
11. Why are cooking saucepans usually made of metal with a wooden or plastic handle: metal conducts heat while wood/plastic is an insulator, or wood melts easily?
Metal conducts heat while wood/plastic is an insulator
Metals transfer heat to the food, while insulating handles stay cool enough to hold.
12. Which natural material is made from fine wet earth (silicate minerals) that is shaped and fired in a hot kiln to make hard pottery and tiles: clay or cork?
Clay
Plastic wet clay hardens permanently into ceramic when fired in a kiln.
12 questions · Seed 79 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 4-6
Everyday materials & properties
Take your time. Show your thinking.
1. 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
2. Which natural plant fibre grows in fluffy bolls and is woven into breathable shirts: cotton or aluminium?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
3. 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
4. When sugar dissolves in water, which substance is the solvent and which is the solute: water is the solvent and sugar is the solute, or sugar is the solvent?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
5. 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
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. 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
8. Why is clear glass used for window panes: because it is transparent (lets light through) or absorbent?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
9. Which material is attracted to a magnet: iron (steel) or wooden pine?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
10. Which natural material comes from the trunks of trees and floats on water: wood or granite?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
11. Why are cooking saucepans usually made of metal with a wooden or plastic handle: metal conducts heat while wood/plastic is an insulator, or wood melts easily?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
12. Which natural material is made from fine wet earth (silicate minerals) that is shaped and fired in a hot kiln to make hard pottery and tiles: clay or cork?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
12 questions · Seed 79 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 4-6
Everyday materials & properties
Answers and reasoning. Review before teaching.
1. 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.
2. Which natural plant fibre grows in fluffy bolls and is woven into breathable shirts: cotton or aluminium?
Cotton
Cotton fibres are harvested from cotton plants and woven into fabric.
3. 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.
4. When sugar dissolves in water, which substance is the solvent and which is the solute: water is the solvent and sugar is the solute, or sugar is the solvent?
Water is the solvent and sugar is the solute
The liquid that does the dissolving is the solvent; the dissolved solid is the solute.
5. 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.
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. 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.
8. Why is clear glass used for window panes: because it is transparent (lets light through) or absorbent?
Transparent (lets light through)
Glass is transparent and waterproof, letting daylight in while keeping rain out.
9. Which material is attracted to a magnet: iron (steel) or wooden pine?
Iron (steel)
Iron and steel are ferromagnetic metals; wood is non-magnetic.
10. 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.
11. Why are cooking saucepans usually made of metal with a wooden or plastic handle: metal conducts heat while wood/plastic is an insulator, or wood melts easily?
Metal conducts heat while wood/plastic is an insulator
Metals transfer heat to the food, while insulating handles stay cool enough to hold.
12. Which natural material is made from fine wet earth (silicate minerals) that is shaped and fired in a hot kiln to make hard pottery and tiles: clay or cork?
Clay
Plastic wet clay hardens permanently into ceramic when fired in a kiln.
12 questions · Seed 79 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification