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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 20 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 did the plunger spring back when it was let go?
  3. 3. What happened to the tissue in the cup?
  4. 4. Why did the tissue stay dry?
2.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
3.Why can you feel the air when you wave your hand quickly?
  • A.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
  • B.Air can only be felt outdoors
  • C.Your hand makes the air
4.Why do divers carry tanks of air underwater?
  • A.There is air in the sea for them already
  • B.The tanks make them sink faster
  • C.Air can be squeezed into a tank, and they need it to breathe
5.A kite stays up on a windy day. What is holding it up?
  • A.Nothing at all
  • B.The string pushing it up
  • C.Moving air pushing against it
6.Where is there air?
  • A.Only outside
  • B.Only when the wind blows
  • C.All around us, even in an "empty" room
7.A blown-up balloon is let go with its neck open. Why does it shoot off?
  • A.The balloon is magnetic
  • B.Gravity pulls it sideways
  • C.Air rushing out pushes it the other way

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-1 · Set 20 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Testing Whether Air Is Matter

Set 20. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. Air takes up room and has weight, even though nobody can see it. 2. The air squeezed inside pushed back as it spread out again. 3. The tissue stayed dry. 4. Air trapped in the cup filled it, so the water could not get in.
  2. 2.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails
  3. 3.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
  4. 4.Air can be squeezed into a tank, and they need it to breathe
  5. 5.Moving air pushing against it
  6. 6.All around us, even in an "empty" room
  7. 7.Air rushing out pushes it the other way

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