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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.

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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 did the plunger spring back when it was let go?
  2. 2. Why was each test done twice?
  3. 3. What would the bottle do when it warmed up again?
  4. 4. Where did the 5 g the soccer ball gained come from?
2.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
3.Wet washing dries faster on a windy day. Why?
  • A.The wind adds heat from the sun
  • B.The wind makes the washing heavier
  • C.The moving air carries the water vapor away from the cloth
4.What is wind?
  • A.Clouds bumping together
  • B.Air moving from one place to another
  • C.Trees waving their branches
5.Where is there air?
  • A.Only outside
  • B.Only when the wind blows
  • C.All around us, even in an "empty" room
6.Why can you feel the air when you wave your hand quickly?
  • A.Your hand makes the air
  • B.Air can only be felt outdoors
  • C.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
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 7 · free to copy for classroom use

Answer key — Testing Whether Air Is Matter

Set 7. Prints on its own sheet.

  1. 1.1. The air squeezed inside pushed back as it spread out again. 2. So one odd result could not mislead the class about the tests. 3. Its sides would push back out as the air inside warmed. 4. From the air pumped into it, because air has mass.
  2. 2.Moving air pushing against it
  3. 3.The moving air carries the water vapor away from the cloth
  4. 4.Air moving from one place to another
  5. 5.All around us, even in an "empty" room
  6. 6.Your hand is pushing against the air, which is matter
  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.