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Testing Whether Air Is Matter is a free printable Grade 5 science worksheet on using test results as evidence that air takes up space and has mass, aligned to NGSS performance expectation 5-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 13 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.

Testing Whether Air Is Matter

5-PS1-1

NameDate

Read the record, then answer the questions.

1.Read the record, then answer the questions.

Testing Whether Air Is Matter

Results from four tests the class ran on air, each done twice. FOUR TESTS ON AIR Syringe, end blocked: plunger pushed from 20 ml to 12 ml, then sprang back to 20 ml when let go Soccer ball weighed flat: 418 g. Weighed again after pumping it hard: 423 g Cup with a tissue in it, pushed upside down into water: the tissue stayed dry The same cup tilted under water: bubbles rose and water went into the cup Sealed empty plastic bottle left in a freezer for an hour: its sides pulled in a little

  1. 1. What do the four tests show about air?
  2. 2. Why was each test done twice?
  3. 3. What claim does this record support?
  4. 4. What would the bottle do when it warmed up again?
2.Why can you feel the air when you wave your hand quickly?
  • A.Air can only be felt outdoors
  • B.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
  • C.Your hand makes the air
3.A dry sponge is pushed under water and bubbles rise. What are they?
  • A.Air that was in the sponge's holes
  • B.Water turning into gas
  • C.Soap
4.A kite stays up on a windy day. What is holding it up?
  • A.Nothing at all
  • B.Moving air pushing against it
  • C.The string pushing it up
5.A blown-up balloon is let go with its neck open. Why does it shoot off?
  • A.Gravity pulls it sideways
  • B.The balloon is magnetic
  • C.Air rushing out pushes it the other way
6.Why does a parachute fall slowly?
  • A.Air pushes up against its wide canopy
  • B.Parachutes weigh nothing
  • C.Gravity stops working
7.A windmill's sails turn. What makes them move?
  • A.Electricity from the windmill
  • B.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails
  • C.Sunlight on the sails

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-1 · Set 13 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Testing Whether Air Is Matter

Set 13. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Air takes up room and has weight, even though nobody can see it. 2. So one odd result could not mislead the class about the tests. 3. Air is matter: air takes up space and has mass. 4. Its sides would push back out as the air inside warmed.
  2. 2.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
  3. 3.Air that was in the sponge's holes
  4. 4.Moving air pushing against it
  5. 5.Air rushing out pushes it the other way
  6. 6.Air pushes up against its wide canopy
  7. 7.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails

Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to 5-PS1-1 of the Next Generation Science Standards.