PSSA Science — Grade 5

A student places 100 mL of liquid water into a freezer. The next day, the water has turned into solid ice. Which property of the water changed during this process?

• AThe chemical composition of the water molecules
• BThe state of matter from liquid to solid
• CThe total number of hydrogen and oxygen atoms
• DThe mass of the water destroyed during freezing

Which of the following actions is an example of a physical change?

• ACutting a wooden log into smaller kindling sticks
• BBurning a piece of wood in a campfire until only ash remains
• CBaking bread dough in an oven to form a crusty loaf
• DRusting an iron nail exposed to rain and air

A student tests several objects in a simple battery-and-bulb circuit. Which material will allow electricity to flow and light the bulb?

• AA plastic drinking straw
• BA copper paperclip
• CA wooden Popsicle stick
• DA rubber eraser

What scientific term describes the amount of matter present in an object?

• AVolume
• BMass
• CTemperature
• DLength

When a student drops a tennis ball from a height of two meters, it falls downward to the floor. Which force causes the ball to fall?

• AMagnetism
• BFriction
• CGravity
• DAir resistance

Which energy form travels from the Sun through space to heat Earth's surface and illuminate the daytime sky?

• ASound energy
• BLight and thermal energy
• CChemical energy
• DNuclear radiation only

A ramp is used to roll heavy boxes onto a truck bed. Which type of simple machine is a ramp?

• ALever
• BInclined plane
• CPulley
• DWedge

How is sound energy produced when a guitarist plucks a guitar string?

• AThe string heats up and produces light waves
• BThe string vibrates rapidly back and forth, pushing air molecules
• CThe string creates electrical charges that flow into the air
• DThe string absorbs magnetic forces from the surrounding room

When table salt is stirred into warm water, the salt crystals disappear and the liquid remains clear. What has been formed?

• AA new chemical element
• BA solution
• CA gas mixture
• DA solid precipitate

A student drops four different solid blocks of equal volume into a tank of tap water (density = 1.0 g/cm³): - Block W: 0.8 g/cm³ - Block X: 1.2 g/cm³ - Block Y: 0.5 g/cm³ - Block Z: 2.7 g/cm³ Which blocks will sink to the bottom of the water tank?

• ABlocks W and Y only
• BBlocks X and Z only
• CBlock Z only
• DBlocks W, X, Y, and Z

On a humid summer morning, water droplets form on the outside of a cold glass of iced lemonade. Which process explains why these droplets appeared?

• AWater inside the glass seeped through the glass walls
• BWater vapor in the surrounding air cooled and condensed on the cold glass surface
• CLemonade evaporated from the surface and settled on the glass sides
• DIce melted inside the glass and dissolved into the outer air

A student mixes white baking soda powder with clear liquid vinegar in a beaker. The mixture fizzes rapidly, produces carbon dioxide gas bubbles, and cools down slightly. What type of change occurred?

• AA physical change, because the liquid became cloudy
• BA chemical change, because new gas bubbles formed from the reaction
• CA physical change, because baking soda can be filtered out easily
• DNo change occurred, because the total mass doubled

A student has a mixture of dry sand, small iron nails, and plastic beads. Which sequence of physical separation techniques will separate all three components cleanly?

• AUse a magnet to pull out iron nails, then add water to float plastic beads away from heav…
• BHeat the mixture until the sand melts, then strain the iron nails
• CDissolve the iron nails in water, then use a filter paper for the sand
• DEvaporate the plastic beads, then pick out sand grains by hand

A student builds an electric circuit with a battery, light bulb, wire, and a plastic switch. When the switch is open, the light bulb remains dark. Why does the bulb stay dark?

• AThe battery runs out of voltage instantly when a switch opens
• BAn open switch creates a break in the circuit, stopping the flow of electricity
• CElectric current flows backwards when a switch opens
• DThe wire absorbs all the electrical energy before it reaches the bulb

A student pushes a wooden toy car across a smooth tile floor and then across a rough carpet floor with the exact same starting force. The car travels much farther on the tile floor. Why?

• ATile floors exert a greater magnetic force on toy cars
• BCarpet exerts greater friction against the car's wheels, slowing it down faster
• CGravity pulls harder on objects moving across carpet floors
• DTile floors create extra potential energy that pushes the car forward

A battery-powered flashlight is switched on. Which sequence shows the correct energy transformations taking place inside the flashlight?

• ALight energy → Chemical energy → Thermal energy
• BChemical energy → Electrical energy → Light and Thermal energy
• CElectrical energy → Mechanical energy → Sound energy
• DThermal energy → Nuclear energy → Electrical energy

A student uses a lever (a ruler resting on a pencil fulcrum) to lift a heavy rock. How can the student make it easier (require less effort force) to lift the rock?

• AMove the pencil fulcrum closer to the rock
• BMove the pencil fulcrum further away from the rock toward the student's hand
• CShorten the lever beam on the student's side
• DPush down right on top of the fulcrum

When a straight straw is placed into a clear glass filled with water, the straw appears bent or broken at the water's surface. What light behavior causes this optical effect?

• AReflection
• BRefraction
• CAbsorption
• DDiffraction

In a saltwater solution made by dissolving sea salt into warm tap water, which component acts as the solvent?

• AThe sea salt crystals
• BThe tap water
• CThe air bubbles trapped in the glass
• DThe warm temperature

A student places a solid metal spoon and a solid wooden spoon into a cup of hot soup (85°C). After three minutes, the handle of the metal spoon feels hot, while the wooden spoon handle feels warm. Why?

• AWood conducts thermal energy faster than metal
• BMetal is a good thermal conductor, transferring heat quickly along its length
• CMetal absorbs cold air from the room to heat the soup
• DWood reflects thermal energy back into the spoon handle

Why does the liquid column inside a liquid-in-glass thermometer rise when placed in a cup of hot water?

• AThe liquid particles expand as they gain thermal energy and move faster, taking up more s…
• BWater from the cup leaks inside the glass thermometer tube
• CThe glass tube shrinks and squeezes the liquid upward
• DAir pressure forces the liquid down into the bulb

A flag is raised to the top of a flagpole using a rope looped over a grooved wheel at the top. What simple machine is installed at the top of the flagpole?

• AA fixed pulley
• BA movable wedge
• CA screw
• DAn inclined plane

Two students push on opposite sides of a heavy cardboard box resting on a smooth floor. Student A pushes to the right with a force of 15 Newtons. Student B pushes to the left with a force of 15 Newtons. What will happen to the box?

• AThe box will accelerate rapidly to the right
• BThe box will remain stationary because the forces are balanced
• CThe box will lift off the floor into the air
• DThe box will move to the left at a constant speed

A student taps on a wooden desk while listening with their ear pressed flat against the desk surface. The tap sounds much louder and clearer through the wood than through the open air. Why?

• ASound waves travel faster and more efficiently through dense solids like wood than throug…
• BAir absorbs sound vibrations completely
• CWood generates its own electrical sound waves when tapped
• DEar canals open wider when pressed against furniture

A student seals 50 grams of ice cubes inside a airtight plastic freezer bag and records the total mass (bag + ice = 65 grams). After the ice melts completely into liquid water inside the sealed bag, what will the scale read?

• A55 grams, because liquid water is less dense than ice
• B65 grams, because mass is conserved during state changes
• C75 grams, because water expanded into liquid
• D15 grams, because the ice destroyed its mass upon melting

A toy roller coaster car sits at rest at the top of a steep 1-meter hill before rolling down the track. Which statement correctly describes its energy transformation as it rolls from the top of the hill down to the lowest point of the track?

• AKinetic energy at the top transforms into gravitational potential energy at the bottom
• BGravitational potential energy at the top transforms into kinetic energy as it speeds up…
• CThermal energy transforms into electrical energy as the car rolls
• DChemical energy turns into nuclear energy at the bottom

A student compares two light strings: String A: Three bulbs connected in a series circuit. String B: Three bulbs connected in a parallel circuit. If one bulb burns out (breaks its internal filament) in each string, what will happen to the remaining bulbs?

• AIn String A, all remaining bulbs stay lit; in String B, all remaining bulbs go dark
• BIn String A, all remaining bulbs go dark; in String B, all remaining bulbs stay lit
• CIn both strings, all remaining bulbs will explode
• DIn both strings, all remaining bulbs will stay lit without change

A student needs to separate a solid mixture containing iron filings, table salt, and coarse quartz sand. What is the most logical order of steps to isolate all three substances?

• A1. Use a magnet to remove iron filings; 2. Add water to dissolve salt; 3. Filter out sand…
• B1. Add water to dissolve sand; 2. Filter out iron filings; 3. Use a magnet to extract salt
• C1. Evaporate the mixture; 2. Use a magnet to pick up sand; 3. Boil the iron filings
• D1. Filter dry mixture through paper; 2. Magnetize the salt; 3. Freeze the remaining liquid

A battery-powered toy robot travels along a straight line. It covers a distance of 12 meters in 4 seconds at a constant speed. What is the speed of the robot?

• A3 meters per second
• B8 meters per second
• C16 meters per second
• D48 meters per second

A student compares two hand tools: - Tool 1: A doorstop pushed under a door to hold it open. - Tool 2: A screwdriver used to turn a screw into a wooden block. Which simple machines are represented by Tool 1 and Tool 2?

• ATool 1 is a wedge; Tool 2 is a wheel and axle
• BTool 1 is a pulley; Tool 2 is a lever
• CTool 1 is an inclined plane; Tool 2 is a wedge
• DTool 1 is a screw; Tool 2 is a pulley

Which plant cell structure is a rigid outer layer that surrounds the cell membrane, providing structural support and shape to plant stems and leaves?

• ANucleus
• BCell wall
• CCytoplasm
• DMitochondria

What three main ingredients do green plants require to perform photosynthesis and produce their own food?

• ASunlight, carbon dioxide, and water
• BOxygen, glucose, and soil minerals
• CNitrogen, shade, and fertilizer
• DSugar, salt, and oxygen

In a forest ecosystem, how do oak trees obtain energy to survive and grow?

• ABy hunting small insects in the soil
• BBy absorbing sunlight to make their own food through photosynthesis
• CBy consuming decaying leaves on the forest floor
• DBy drinking water without needing light

A white-tailed deer feeds exclusively on green leaves, acorns, clover, and twigs. What term describes this animal based on its diet?

• ACarnivore
• BHerbivore
• COmnivore
• DDecomposer

Which organisms in a woodland ecosystem break down dead fallen trees and animal wastes, returning rich nutrients back into the soil?

• AProducers like ferns and mosses
• BDecomposers like mushrooms and soil bacteria
• CHerbivores like rabbits and squirrels
• DPredators like hawks and foxes

A polar bear has thick white fur and a layer of fat (blubber) under its skin. How do these traits help the polar bear survive in the Arctic?

• ABy helping the bear absorb extra oxygen from ocean water
• BBy insulating the bear against extreme cold and camouflaging it in snow
• CBy allowing the bear to fly over icy ocean waters
• DBy enabling the bear to produce plant food internally

Which plant organ absorbs water and dissolved minerals from the soil and anchors the plant firmly in the ground?

• AStem
• BRoots
• CLeaves
• DFlowers

Which sequence correctly shows the four stages of complete metamorphosis in a monarch butterfly's life cycle?

• AEgg → Larva (caterpillar) → Pupa (chrysalis) → Adult butterfly
• BAdult butterfly → Nymph → Pupa → Egg
• CEgg → Pupa → Larva → Adult butterfly
• DLarva → Egg → Adult butterfly → Nymph

A snowshoe hare's fur changes from brown in summer to pure white in winter. How does this seasonal adaptation aid the hare's survival?

• AIt helps the hare attract fish in frozen rivers
• BIt provides camouflage against snow, hiding the hare from predators like bobcats
• CIt keeps the hare completely invisible to sunlight
• DIt allows the hare to hibernate without breathing

What is the green pigment in plant leaves that absorbs light energy required for photosynthesis?

• AHemoglobin
• BChlorophyll
• CKeratin
• DMelanin

Which of the following animals is classified as an invertebrate because it lacks an internal backbone?

• ARed-tailed hawk
• BEarthworm
• CEastern garter snake
• DBullfrog

During photosynthesis, green plants use energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into which two output products?

• AGlucose (sugar) and oxygen gas
• BCarbon dioxide and soil minerals
• CNitrogen gas and thermal heat
• DWater vapor and salt crystals

Plant leaves have microscopic pores called stomata on their undersides. What vital function do stomata perform for the plant?

• AThey absorb solid soil particles directly into the leaf
• BThey allow gases (carbon dioxide in, oxygen out) and water vapor (transpiration) to enter…
• CThey anchor the leaf stems to tree branches during storms
• DThey produce digestive enzymes to catch flying insects

A honeybee collects nectar from apple blossoms to make honey. While moving between flowers, pollen grains stick to the bee's body and fertilize other blossoms. This interaction between the honeybee and the apple tree is an example of:

• APredation
• BMutualism (interdependence where both organisms benefit)
• CParasitism
• DCompetition

Consider a meadow food chain: Grass → Grasshopper → Songbird → Red-tailed Hawk. If disease eliminates nearly all Red-tailed Hawks in the area, what short-term effect is most likely?

• AThe songbird population will increase due to reduced predation
• BThe grass population will multiply instantly
• CGrasshoppers will stop eating grass completely
• DAll plants in the meadow will die immediately

A plant's vascular system contains two specialized transport tissues: xylem and phloem. What is the specific job of xylem tissue?

• ACarrying synthesized sugars from leaves down to roots
• BTransporting water and dissolved mineral nutrients upward from roots to stems and leaves
• CAbsorbing light energy directly from sunlight
• DAttracting pollinating insects with sweet scents

Which of the following describes a behavioral adaptation rather than a physical (structural) adaptation?

• AA duck having webbed feet for swimming
• BA Canada goose flying south in large V-formations before winter
• CA cactus possessing sharp protective spines
• DA walrus having a thick layer of fat blubber