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 22 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
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. How much did the soccer ball weigh after it was pumped hard?
2. What happened to the tissue in the cup?
3. Why did the plunger spring back when it was let go?
4. What claim does this record support?
2.Why does a bicycle tire feel hard when it is pumped up?
A.The rubber has frozen
B.It is packed with air pushing outwards
C.The tire is empty
3.Where is there air?
A.All around us, even in an "empty" room
B.Only outside
C.Only when the wind blows
4.A windmill's sails turn. What makes them move?
A.Sunlight on the sails
B.Electricity from the windmill
C.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails
5.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
6.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
7.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
LessonPrint · 5-PS1-1 · Set 22 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Testing Whether Air Is Matter
Set 22. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. 423 g. 2. The tissue stayed dry. 3. The air squeezed inside pushed back as it spread out again. 4. Air is matter: air takes up space and has mass.
2.It is packed with air pushing outwards
3.All around us, even in an "empty" room
4.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails
5.Air can be squeezed into a tank, and they need it to breathe
6.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
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.