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 7-9
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. 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
3. Which property of metals allows them to be drawn out into long thin wires (such as copper wire): ductility or brittleness?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
4. Which natural material comes from the trunks of trees and floats on water: wood or granite?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
5. 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
6. Which material is waterproof and suitable for making rain boots: rubber or tissue paper?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
7. 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
8. Which property describes a material like a sponge or cotton towel that soaks up water: absorbent or waterproof?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
9. Why is stainless steel used for surgical instruments and kitchen sinks: it resists rust and corrosion, or it dissolves in cold water?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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
12 questions · Seed 55 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
View the answer key
Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9
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. 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.
3. Which property of metals allows them to be drawn out into long thin wires (such as copper wire): ductility or brittleness?
Ductility
Ductile materials can be stretched into wire under tension.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Which material is waterproof and suitable for making rain boots: rubber or tissue paper?
Rubber
Rubber is flexible and waterproof, so water cannot soak through it.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Why is stainless steel used for surgical instruments and kitchen sinks: it resists rust and corrosion, or it dissolves in cold water?
It resists rust and corrosion
Chromium in stainless steel forms a protective oxide film that prevents rusting.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
12 questions · Seed 55 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
Worksheet StudioPractice pack · Ages 7-9
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. 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
3. Which property of metals allows them to be drawn out into long thin wires (such as copper wire): ductility or brittleness?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
4. Which natural material comes from the trunks of trees and floats on water: wood or granite?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
5. 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
6. Which material is waterproof and suitable for making rain boots: rubber or tissue paper?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
7. 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
8. Which property describes a material like a sponge or cotton towel that soaks up water: absorbent or waterproof?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
9. Why is stainless steel used for surgical instruments and kitchen sinks: it resists rust and corrosion, or it dissolves in cold water?
Material Properties Test · Rigid · Flexible · Waterproof
10. 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
11. 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
12. 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
12 questions · Seed 55 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification
Worksheet StudioAnswer key · Ages 7-9
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. 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.
3. Which property of metals allows them to be drawn out into long thin wires (such as copper wire): ductility or brittleness?
Ductility
Ductile materials can be stretched into wire under tension.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. Which material is waterproof and suitable for making rain boots: rubber or tissue paper?
Rubber
Rubber is flexible and waterproof, so water cannot soak through it.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. Why is stainless steel used for surgical instruments and kitchen sinks: it resists rust and corrosion, or it dissolves in cold water?
It resists rust and corrosion
Chromium in stainless steel forms a protective oxide film that prevents rusting.
10. 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.
11. 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.
12. 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.
12 questions · Seed 55 · Age guidance, not curriculum certification