OSAS Science — Grade 5

A student places 50 grams of baking soda and 100 grams of vinegar in a sealed plastic bag on a balance. The total mass reads 150 grams. After the substances mix and the bag inflates with gas, the student reads the balance again. What is the most likely total mass?

• ALess than 150 grams, because gas is lighter than liquid
• B150 grams, because matter is not created or destroyed in a closed system
• CMore than 150 grams, because a new substance was made
• DZero grams, because the bag is full of gas

A student records the mass of an ice cube as 25 grams. After the ice melts into liquid water, the student measures the mass of the water. Which result best supports the idea that melting is a physical change that conserves matter?

• AThe water has a mass of about 25 grams
• BThe water has a mass of about 50 grams, because liquid is heavier than solid
• CThe water has a mass of about 10 grams, because some matter was lost
• DThe water has a mass of 0 grams, because ice turns into nothing

A student observes four changes. Which observation provides the best evidence that a chemical change has occurred?

• AA piece of chalk is broken into smaller pieces
• BAn ice cube melts into a puddle on a table
• CA steel nail left outside forms reddish-brown rust over several days
• DSugar dissolves in warm water, making the water taste sweet

A student stirs a spoonful of sugar into a glass of water. The sugar seems to disappear, but the water tastes sweet. Using the particle model of matter, which explanation best describes what happened to the sugar?

• AThe sugar particles were destroyed by the water
• BThe sugar particles spread out and mixed with the water particles, becoming too small to…
• CThe sugar particles changed into water particles
• DThe sugar particles evaporated into the air instantly

An astronaut has a mass of 60 kilograms on Earth. The astronaut travels to the Moon, where gravity is weaker. Which statement is correct?

• AThe astronaut's mass and weight both stay the same on the Moon
• BThe astronaut's mass stays the same, but the weight decreases on the Moon
• CThe astronaut's mass decreases, but the weight stays the same on the Moon
• DBoth the astronaut's mass and weight decrease on the Moon

A student has four objects and measures a property of each: | Object | Density (g/cm³) | Magnetism | Conducts electricity? | |--------|-----------------|-----------|----------------------| | W | 7.8 | Yes | Yes | | X | 1.0 | No | No | | Y | 2.7 | No | Yes | | Z | 0.9 | No | No | Based on the data, which object is most likely made of iron?

• AObject W, because iron is magnetic, dense, and conducts electricity
• BObject X, because iron floats in water
• CObject Y, because iron is lightweight and does not stick to magnets
• DObject Z, because iron is less dense than water

A student burns a log in a fireplace. After the fire, only a small pile of ash remains. The ash weighs much less than the original log. The student concludes that matter was destroyed. Why does this observation NOT violate the law of conservation of matter?

• AThe law of conservation of matter only applies to closed containers, not fireplaces
• BSmoke, gases, and water vapor escaped into the air, and the ash plus all escaped matter e…
• CFire destroys matter, which is an exception to the law of conservation of matter
• DThe ash actually weighs the same as the log, but it is hard to measure

A student needs to find the mass of a small rock. Which tool and unit are most appropriate for this measurement?

• AA ruler measured in centimeters
• BA graduated cylinder measured in milliliters
• CA pan balance measured in grams
• DA thermometer measured in degrees Celsius

A student pours 200 mL of water (mass = 200 g) into a beaker. Then the student adds 50 g of salt and stirs until the salt dissolves. What is the total mass of the saltwater mixture?

• A150 grams
• B200 grams
• C250 grams
• D300 grams

A ball is dropped from the top of a building. Which statement best describes the direction of the gravitational force that Earth exerts on the ball?

• AThe force pulls the ball sideways toward the nearest wall
• BThe force pulls the ball downward, toward the center of Earth
• CThe force pushes the ball upward, away from Earth
• DThe force pulls the ball in all directions equally

Two objects are the same size and shape but have different masses: Object A has a mass of 5 kg and Object B has a mass of 15 kg. Which statement about the gravitational force acting on each object is correct?

• ABoth objects experience the same gravitational force because they are the same size
• BObject B experiences a greater gravitational force because it has more mass
• CObject A experiences a greater gravitational force because it is lighter
• DNeither object experiences gravitational force unless they are moving

A moving marble rolls along a track and collides with a stationary marble of the same size. After the collision, the first marble slows down and the second marble starts moving. Which statement best explains the energy transfer?

• AEnergy was destroyed in the collision, causing the first marble to stop
• BEnergy was transferred from the moving marble to the stationary marble, causing it to move
• CThe stationary marble created its own energy to start moving
• DNo energy was involved because only one marble was moving at first

Which of the following is the original source of energy for most of the energy people use in their homes?

• AThe electricity in wires
• BThe Sun, which provides energy for wind, water cycles, and plant growth
• CThe ground, which stores heat underground
• DThe wind, which creates energy by itself

A student turns on a flashlight. Which sequence best describes how energy is stored and transferred in the flashlight?

• ALight energy is stored in the bulb and released as electrical energy
• BChemical energy is stored in the battery, transferred as electrical energy, and produces…
• CHeat energy is stored in the battery and transferred to make light
• DSound energy is stored in the battery and converted to light

A class is comparing energy resources. Which resource is renewable, meaning it can be replaced naturally in a short time?

• ACoal, because it comes from underground
• BNatural gas, because it is found in many places
• CSolar energy, because the Sun continues to shine every day
• DPetroleum, because it is pumped from deep wells

A student plucks a guitar string gently and then plucks it hard. The second pluck produces a louder sound. Which wave property changed to make the sound louder?

• AWavelength, because the distance between waves changed
• BAmplitude, because the height of the waves increased, carrying more energy
• CFrequency, because the number of waves per second changed
• DSpeed, because the waves traveled faster through the air

A student drops a small stone into a calm pond and watches ripples spread outward. Which statement best describes the pattern of the water waves?

• AThe water moves outward across the pond, carrying the water from the center to the edge
• BThe water moves up and down in a regular pattern, but the wave pattern moves outward acro…
• CThe water freezes and does not move at all
• DThe water moves in a random pattern with no repeating shape

A student blows into a flute and produces a high-pitched note. Later, the student produces a lower-pitched note. Compared to the high note, how do the sound waves of the lower note differ?

• AThe lower note has a shorter wavelength and higher frequency
• BThe lower note has a longer wavelength and lower frequency
• CThe lower note has the same wavelength but a larger amplitude
• DThe lower note has a shorter wavelength but the same frequency

A student draws particle models for a solid block of ice and liquid water. Which description of the particles is most accurate?

• AIn the solid, particles are far apart and move freely; in the liquid, particles are packe…
• BIn both the solid and the liquid, particles are identical in type but arranged differentl…
• CThe solid is made of ice particles and the liquid is made of water particles, which are c…
• DThe solid has no particles, and the liquid has particles that are visible to the eye

A student turns on a desk lamp. After a few minutes, the metal lamp shade feels warm to the touch. Which explanation best describes how the energy reached the shade?

• AThe shade created its own heat energy from the metal
• BEnergy from the light bulb was transferred as heat to the nearby metal shade
• CThe shade absorbed cold from the surrounding air and turned it into heat
• DThe electricity jumped directly from the bulb to the shade

A baker mixes flour, sugar, eggs, and butter in a bowl. The mixture weighs 800 grams. After baking in an oven, the cake weighs 600 grams. The baker knows matter is conserved. What best explains the difference?

• ASome matter was destroyed by the heat of the oven
• BWater vapor and gases escaped from the cake during baking, and their mass plus the cake m…
• CThe oven added 200 grams of heat energy to the cake, reducing its mass
• DThe cake ingredients shrank because they were packed more tightly

A student tests three unknown substances and records the results: | Test | Substance P | Substance Q | Substance R | |-----|-------------|-------------|-------------| | Melting point | 0°C | 327°C | 1538°C | | Magnetic? | No | No | Yes | | Conducts electricity? | Poorly | Yes | Yes | Which conclusion is best supported by the data?

• ASubstance P is likely a metal because it has a low melting point
• BSubstance Q is likely a metal because it conducts electricity and has a moderate-to-high…
• CSubstance R is likely nonmetallic because it has the highest melting point
• DAll three substances are the same material because they all conduct electricity

A student builds a model roller coaster. The car starts at the top of a tall hill, rolls down, and speeds up. At the bottom of the hill, the car is moving the fastest. Which explanation best describes the energy change?

• AThe car has the most energy of motion at the top of the hill and the most stored energy a…
• BThe car has the most stored energy at the top of the hill, which is converted to energy o…
• CThe car creates new energy as it rolls down the hill
• DThe car loses all energy at the bottom of the hill

A student is asked to draw a particle model showing the air inside a balloon. Which model best represents the particles of the gas inside?

• AParticles packed tightly in a fixed grid, unable to move
• BParticles close together but sliding past one another in a flowing pattern
• CParticles spread far apart, moving freely in all directions
• DNo particles at all, because gas is empty space

A student claims that a heavier ball will fall faster than a lighter ball when dropped from the same height at the same time. To test this claim, the student drops a bowling ball and a tennis ball simultaneously. Both balls hit the ground at about the same time. Which conclusion is best supported by this evidence?

• AThe heavier ball fell faster, but it was hard to see
• BGravity pulls both balls downward at the same rate regardless of their mass
• CThe lighter ball must have been pushed down by air
• DThe experiment was wrong because heavier objects always fall faster

A town wants to produce electricity with less air pollution. Which energy resource would best help the town meet this goal?

• ACoal, because it is inexpensive and widely available
• BWind power, because it uses a renewable resource and does not produce air pollution durin…
• CPetroleum, because it can be transported easily in trucks
• DNatural gas, because it produces no waste at all

A student takes a digital photo and sends it to a friend's phone using a wireless signal. Which statement best explains how the image information is transmitted?

• AThe image is converted into a pattern of ones and zeros that is sent as a wave signal and…
• BThe image is printed on paper and mailed to the friend
• CThe image is sent as a single sound wave that the phone turns into a picture
• DThe image is physically moved through the air as a tiny copy

A student investigates how the height of a ramp affects how far a ball rolls after leaving the ramp. The student tests three ramp heights and measures the distance: | Ramp height | Distance ball rolled | |-------------|----------------------| | 10 cm | 80 cm | | 20 cm | 155 cm | | 30 cm | 230 cm | What is the relationship between ramp height and the distance the ball rolled?

• AAs the ramp height increases, the distance the ball rolls decreases
• BAs the ramp height increases, the distance the ball rolls increases
• CThe ramp height has no effect on the distance the ball rolls
• DThe ball rolls the same distance regardless of ramp height

A student shines a flashlight at a mirror in a dark room. A spot of light appears on the wall opposite the mirror. Which explanation best describes what happened to the light energy?

• AThe mirror created new light energy and sent it to the wall
• BThe light energy from the flashlight bounced off the mirror and was redirected to the wall
• CThe mirror absorbed all the light energy and the wall made its own light
• DThe light energy was destroyed when it hit the mirror

A student inflates a balloon and ties it. Over several days, the balloon gradually shrinks even though there are no visible holes. Which explanation best accounts for this observation?

• AThe air particles inside the balloon escaped through tiny spaces in the rubber that are t…
• BThe balloon created new particles that caused it to shrink
• CThe air inside turned into a solid and took up less space
• DThe rubber balloon grew larger, making the air look smaller

A student holds a vibrating tuning fork near a ping-pong ball suspended on a string. The ping-pong ball moves when the tuning fork is close. Which explanation best describes why the ball moves?

• AThe tuning fork sends sound energy through the air as vibrations, which push on the ball…
• BThe ball moves because it is attracted to the tuning fork by gravity
• CThe tuning fork creates wind that blows the ball away
• DThe ball moves on its own and the tuning fork has nothing to do with it

Two students observe a glass of water with ice cubes. Student A says, 'This is a chemical change because the ice turned into water.' Student B says, 'This is a physical change because the water is still water.' Which student is correct, and what is the best evidence?

• AStudent A is correct, because the ice changed into a new substance
• BStudent B is correct, because the substance is still water — only its state changed from…
• CBoth students are correct, because it is both a chemical and a physical change
• DNeither student is correct, because melting ice is not any kind of change

A student builds a solar oven using a cardboard box lined with foil and a clear plastic cover. The student places a chocolate bar inside, and after 30 minutes in sunlight, the chocolate melts. Which explanation best describes how energy moved through this system?

• ALight energy from the Sun passed through the clear cover, was reflected by the foil, and…
• BThe chocolate created its own heat energy inside the box
• CThe foil blocked all energy from entering the box, and the chocolate melted from the air…
• DThe clear plastic cover created heat energy that melted the chocolate

A student measures the amplitude of sound waves from four different instruments and records how loud each sounds: | Instrument | Amplitude (units) | Loudness | |------------|-------------------|----------| | Drum | 8 | Very loud | | Bell | 6 | Loud | | Flute | 3 | Medium | | Whisper tube | 1 | Very quiet | What pattern does the data show?

• ALarger amplitude is associated with quieter sound
• BLarger amplitude is associated with louder sound
• CAmplitude has no relationship to loudness
• DAll instruments have the same amplitude regardless of loudness

A student plants a small seed in a pot of soil. The seed weighs 2 grams. Over several months, the plant grows into a small tree that weighs several kilograms. The student did not add any extra soil. Where did most of the new plant matter come from?

• AThe plant created new matter from nothing as it grew
• BThe plant built most of its mass from carbon dioxide in the air and water from the soil
• CThe plant absorbed mass from the sunlight directly
• DThe plant took all its mass from the soil in the pot

A food web in a forest includes the following organisms: grass, rabbit, fox, and mushroom. Which statement best describes how energy flows through this food web?

• AEnergy flows from the fox to the rabbit to the grass to the Sun
• BEnergy from the Sun is captured by the grass, then transferred to the rabbit when it eats…
• CEnergy flows from the mushroom to all other organisms directly
• DEach organism creates its own energy independently

After a tree falls in a forest, fungi and bacteria grow on the dead wood. Over time, the wood breaks down and nutrients are returned to the soil. What role do the fungi and bacteria play in the ecosystem?

• AThey are producers that make food from sunlight
• BThey are decomposers that break down dead matter and return nutrients to the soil
• CThey are predators that hunt living trees
• DThey are consumers that eat living plants for energy

A student observes a plant and notices it has deep roots and broad, flat leaves. Which explanation best describes how these structures help the plant survive?

• AThe roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil, and the broad leaves capture sunlight…
• BThe roots produce food for the plant, and the leaves protect the plant from animals
• CThe roots attract insects for pollination, and the leaves store water only
• DThe roots and leaves have no specific function in the plant

A student draws a food web with the following feeding relationships: - Grass is eaten by grasshoppers and rabbits - Grasshoppers are eaten by frogs - Frogs are eaten by snakes - Rabbits are eaten by snakes - Snakes are eaten by hawks If the number of frogs suddenly decreased, which organisms would be most directly affected?

• AOnly the grasshoppers, because they would have no predators
• BThe snakes that eat frogs would have less food, and the grasshoppers that frogs eat might…
• COnly the hawks, because they are at the top of the food web
• DThe grass would decrease because the frogs eat grass

A food chain runs grass → rabbit → fox, with the grass capturing energy from the Sun. Approximately how much of the energy available at one feeding level is transferred to the next?

• AAll of the energy is transferred from one level to the next
• BAbout 10% of the energy is transferred, because most energy is used by the organism or re…
• CAbout 50% of the energy is transferred from one level to the next
• DNo energy is transferred; each level gets energy directly from the Sun

A certain type of moth has wings that look like tree bark. Birds that hunt by sight often miss these moths when they rest on tree trunks. Which explanation best describes how this trait helps the moths survive?

• AThe wing pattern helps the moths fly faster than birds
• BThe wing pattern provides camouflage, making it harder for birds to see and catch the mot…
• CThe wing pattern makes the moths taste bad to birds
• DThe wing pattern helps the moths find food more easily

A dog gives birth to a litter of six puppies. The puppies have different coat colors, sizes, and ear shapes, even though they have the same parents. What best explains why the puppies have different traits?

• AEach puppy inherited a different combination of traits from its parents, causing variation
• BEach puppy ate different food before it was born
• CThe parents gave each puppy completely different traits on purpose
• DThe puppies will all end up looking exactly the same as adults

Two identical plants are grown from cuttings of the same parent plant. Plant A is placed in a sunny window and watered regularly. Plant B is placed in a dark closet and watered rarely. After one month, Plant A is tall and green, while Plant B is pale and small. What best explains the difference?

• AThe plants inherited different traits, making them look different
• BThe environment — sunlight and water — affected how the plants grew, even though they sta…
• CPlant B was a different species than Plant A
• DThe plants were always going to look different regardless of the environment

A scientist finds a fossil of a marine clam in a rock layer on a mountain that is far from any ocean. What is the most reasonable conclusion about what this fossil tells us?

• AThe clam once lived on land and climbed the mountain
• BThe area where the mountain is now was once underwater, and the environment changed over…
• CSomeone carried the clam fossil up the mountain recently
• DThe clam fossil was planted there by accident

Dinosaurs once lived all over Earth but eventually died out completely. Which explanation best describes what most likely happened to cause the extinction of dinosaurs?

• ADinosaurs were eaten by modern animals that appeared suddenly
• BThe environment changed so quickly and dramatically that dinosaurs could not survive, and…
• CDinosaurs decided to turn into birds and stopped being dinosaurs
• DDinosaurs moved to another planet

On a sandy island, most lizards are light brown, which helps them blend in with the sand. A few lizards are dark green. Hawks hunt the lizards by sight. Over many generations, the lizard population becomes mostly light brown. Which explanation best accounts for this pattern?

• AThe dark green lizards turned light brown to hide from hawks
• BLight brown lizards were better camouflaged, survived longer, and passed their trait to m…
• CThe hawks ate all the lizards, leaving none behind
• DThe sandy island changed color to green to match the lizards

A deer eats leaves from a tree. Later, the deer produces waste, and eventually the deer dies. Fungi and bacteria break down the waste and the deer's body. Which statement best describes what happens to the matter from the deer?

• AThe matter is destroyed and disappears forever
• BThe matter is broken down by decomposers and returned to the soil as nutrients, which pla…
• CThe matter turns into energy and is used up by the fungi
• DThe matter stays locked inside the fungi forever

A student places a celery stalk in colored water. After a day, the colored water has moved up through the celery, and the leaves have a tint of color. Which structure in the celery is responsible for transporting the water upward?

• AThe roots, which absorb water from the ground
• BThe stem, which contains tubes that transport water from the base to the leaves
• CThe leaves, which pull water in from the air
• DThe flowers, which store water for the plant