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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 21 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.

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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. Why was each test done twice?
  2. 2. Why did the plunger spring back when it was let go?
  3. 3. Why did the tissue stay dry?
  4. 4. Where did the 5 g the soccer ball gained come from?
2.Why do divers carry tanks of air underwater?
  • A.There is air in the sea for them already
  • B.Air can be squeezed into a tank, and they need it to breathe
  • C.The tanks make them sink faster
3.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
4.A dry sponge is pushed under water and bubbles rise. What are they?
  • A.Water turning into gas
  • B.Soap
  • C.Air that was in the sponge's holes
5.A blown-up balloon is let go with its neck open. Why does it shoot off?
  • A.Gravity pulls it sideways
  • B.Air rushing out pushes it the other way
  • C.The balloon is magnetic
6.Why does a parachute fall slowly?
  • A.Air pushes up against its wide canopy
  • B.Gravity stops working
  • C.Parachutes weigh nothing
7.Wet washing dries faster on a windy day. Why?
  • A.The moving air carries the water vapor away from the cloth
  • B.The wind makes the washing heavier
  • C.The wind adds heat from the sun

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-1 · Set 21 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Testing Whether Air Is Matter

Set 21. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. So one odd result could not mislead the class about the tests. 2. The air squeezed inside pushed back as it spread out again. 3. Air trapped in the cup filled it, so the water could not get in. 4. From the air pumped into it, because air has mass.
  2. 2.Air can be squeezed into a tank, and they need it to breathe
  3. 3.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails
  4. 4.Air that was in the sponge's holes
  5. 5.Air rushing out pushes it the other way
  6. 6.Air pushes up against its wide canopy
  7. 7.The moving air carries the water vapor away from the cloth

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