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Float or Sink? is a free printable Grade 2 science worksheet on testing and recording whether materials float or sink, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 2-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 16 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.

Float or Sink?

2-PS1-1

NameDate

Read the record, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

Float or Sink?

Our predictions and results for eight objects put in the water tub one at a time. WHAT WE THOUGHT, AND WHAT HAPPENED Apple ............. we said sink, it floated Coin .............. we said sink, it sank Wooden block ...... we said float, it floated Metal key ......... we said sink, it sank Plastic bottle top we said float, it floated Pebble ............ we said sink, it sank Candle ............ we said sink, it floated Steel paperclip ... we said float, it sank Same tub of water, and each object was dropped in the same way.

  1. 1. What happened to the steel paperclip?
  2. 2. What happened to the apple?
  3. 3. Why write down a prediction before testing?
  4. 4. What did the metal things do?
2.A plastic bottle top floats. Would a whole empty plastic bottle with its top on float?
  • A.No, it would sink at once
  • B.Yes, it would float
  • C.It would fly
3.Is "it floats" something you can observe about a material?
  • A.Yes, you can see it by putting it in water
  • B.No, you have to guess
  • C.Only if it is shiny
4.Two blocks are the same size. One is wood and one is steel. Which floats?
  • A.The wooden block
  • B.The steel block
  • C.Both of them
5.A toy boat needs to float. Which material would you choose for it?
  • A.Wood or plastic
  • B.Stone
  • C.A bag of coins
6.Why test each object in the same tub of water?
  • A.So the water stays clean
  • B.So it is quicker
  • C.So only the object changes between tests
7.Which of these would you expect to float?
  • A.A metal spoon
  • B.A marble
  • C.A cork

LessonPrint · 2-PS1-1 · Set 16 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Float or Sink?

Set 16. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The paperclip sank. 2. The apple floated. 3. So you can check what you thought against what happened. 4. The coin, the metal key and the steel paperclip all sank.
  2. 2.Yes, it would float
  3. 3.Yes, you can see it by putting it in water
  4. 4.The wooden block
  5. 5.Wood or plastic
  6. 6.So only the object changes between tests
  7. 7.A cork

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 2-PS1-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.