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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 24 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. Where did the 5 g the soccer ball gained come from?
  2. 2. Why did the plunger spring back when it was let go?
  3. 3. What do the four tests show about air?
  4. 4. What would the bottle do when it warmed up again?
2.Why does a bicycle tire feel hard when it is pumped up?
  • A.The rubber has frozen
  • B.The tire is empty
  • C.It is packed with air pushing outwards
3.Where is there air?
  • A.Only when the wind blows
  • B.Only outside
  • C.All around us, even in an "empty" room
4.Why does a parachute fall slowly?
  • A.Parachutes weigh nothing
  • B.Air pushes up against its wide canopy
  • C.Gravity stops working
5.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
6.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
7.A blown-up balloon is let go with its neck open. Why does it shoot off?
  • A.Air rushing out pushes it the other way
  • B.Gravity pulls it sideways
  • C.The balloon is magnetic

LessonPrint · 5-PS1-1 · Set 24 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Testing Whether Air Is Matter

Set 24. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. From the air pumped into it, because air has mass. 2. The air squeezed inside pushed back as it spread out again. 3. Air takes up room and has weight, even though nobody can see it. 4. Its sides would push back out as the air inside warmed.
  2. 2.It is packed with air pushing outwards
  3. 3.All around us, even in an "empty" room
  4. 4.Air pushes up against its wide canopy
  5. 5.Wind, which is moving air, pushing on the sails
  6. 6.Air that was in the sponge's holes
  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.