U.S. Virgin Islands NGSS Science Summative Assessment — Grade 5

Which property of matter can be measured using a balance scale to find out how much matter is inside an object?

• AVolume
• BMass
• CTemperature
• DMagnetism

A student tests four different metal paperclips by bringing a bar magnet near them. Which physical property is the student testing?

• AElectrical conductivity
• BSolubility
• CMagnetic attraction
• DBoiling point

Electrical wires in homes are made of copper metal wrapped in a plastic coating. Why is plastic used on the outside of the wires?

• APlastic is an electrical conductor that helps electricity flow faster.
• BPlastic is an electrical insulator that stops electricity from escaping and prevents shoc…
• CPlastic increases the weight of the wire so it stays grounded.
• DPlastic dissolves in water to keep the inner copper clean.

A student adds 20 grams of sugar to a beaker of warm water and stirs until the sugar can no longer be seen. What happened to the sugar?

• AThe sugar melted into a liquid state.
• BThe sugar dissolved into particles too small to be seen by the naked eye.
• CThe sugar was completely destroyed by stirring.
• DThe sugar transformed into gas bubbles and evaporated.

When air is pumped into a bicycle tire, the tire expands and becomes firm. Which statement best explains this observation?

• AAir is made of matter that has mass and takes up space.
• BAir is weightless and expands without taking up space.
• CAir turns into liquid rubber when under pressure.
• DAir produces heat energy that melts the inner tire wall.

A scientist has two unlabelled bottles filled with clear, colorless liquids. Which test would best help determine whether the two liquids are different substances?

• AComparing the volume of liquid in each bottle
• BMeasuring and comparing their boiling points and densities
• CCounting how many drops each liquid forms on a coin
• DShining a flashlight through both bottles to check for clarity

Which model or evidence best supports the idea that matter is composed of particles too small to be seen?

• AA solid block of wood feeling heavy and smooth to the touch
• BFood coloring spreading throughout a beaker of still water without stirring
• CA metal spoon getting hot when left in warm soup
• DA rock breaking into smaller pebbles when dropped

An ice cube with a mass of 10 grams melts inside a sealed zip-top plastic bag. What will be the mass of the liquid water inside the bag?

• A5 grams
• B10 grams
• C12 grams
• D0 grams

A student dissolves 15 grams of salt into 100 grams of pure water. What is the total mass of the resulting salt water solution?

• A85 grams
• B100 grams
• C115 grams
• D150 grams

A student measures a whole clay sculpture and finds its mass is 300 grams. If the student smashes the sculpture into six smaller clay pieces, what is the combined mass of all six pieces?

• ALess than 300 grams because pieces were lost
• BExactly 300 grams because total mass is conserved
• CMore than 300 grams because there are more individual pieces
• D50 grams total

A sealed container holds 250 grams of liquid water. The container is placed in a freezer until all the water freezes into ice. What will be the mass of the ice inside the sealed container?

• A200 grams
• B250 grams
• C280 grams
• D0 grams

A student mixes 10 grams of baking soda with 50 grams of vinegar inside a flask sealed with a rubber balloon. The mixture fizzes and inflates the balloon with gas. What will the digital scale read for the entire sealed setup after the reaction finishes?

• ALess than 60 grams because gas bubbles weigh nothing
• BExactly 60 grams because all matter is trapped inside the sealed system
• CMore than 60 grams because gas creates extra mass
• D0 grams because the chemical reaction destroys mass

A 4-kilogram piece of dry wood is burned completely in a fireplace, leaving behind only 0.3 kilograms of ash. Why is the mass of the remaining ash so much less than the original piece of wood?

• AThe missing mass was completely destroyed by the heat of the fire.
• BGases such as carbon dioxide and water vapor were produced and escaped into the air.
• CFire turns solid matter into pure light energy without mass.
• DThe wood dissolved into underground soil particles.

A student pours 25 grams of salt into 200 grams of water in a beaker. After the salt dissolves completely, the beaker is left in a warm room for several days until all the water evaporates. What will be the mass of the solid salt left at the bottom of the beaker?

• A0 grams because dissolved salt evaporates with water
• B25 grams because only the water evaporated, leaving all the salt behind
• C225 grams because the salt absorbed air particles
• D12.5 grams because half the salt decomposed

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

• AA piece of bread turning into dark toast in a toaster
• BAn iron nail forming rust when exposed to rain
• CChopping a wooden log into smaller kindling sticks
• DBaking a mixture of flour, eggs, and sugar into a cake

Which observation is the clearest evidence that a chemical change has occurred when two liquids are mixed?

• AThe mixture takes the shape of the container.
• BThe total volume of liquid stays approximately the same.
• CA gas is produced, creating bubbles and a new odor, while the temperature changes.
• DThe liquids mix together to form a uniform light color without heating up.

A student mixes two clear liquid chemicals in a glass beaker. Within seconds, the beaker feels warm, turns cloudy yellow, and a solid powder settles at the bottom. What occurred in the beaker?

• AA physical change because the liquids simply evaporated
• BA chemical change because new substances, including a solid precipitate and heat, were fo…
• CA phase change where liquid turned into solid ice
• DMechanical weathering of the glass beaker

Why is melting a wax candle considered a physical change, while burning the candle's wick is considered a chemical change?

• AMelting creates a new chemical element, while burning only changes shape.
• BMelting alters only the state of matter of the wax, while burning transforms wick matter…
• CMelting destroys matter, while burning creates new atoms.
• DMelting happens quickly, while burning takes hours.

An iron garden rake left outside in rainy weather turns reddish-brown and flaky over time. What type of change happened to the iron rake?

• AA physical change because the rake can easily be wiped clean with a cloth
• BA chemical change because iron reacted with oxygen and water to form rust (iron oxide)
• CA state change where solid metal dissolved into rain water gas
• DA biological change caused by sunlight

A student claims that boiling liquid water on a stove is a chemical change because gas bubbles are visible. Is the student's claim correct?

• AYes, because any time gas bubbles appear, a chemical reaction has taken place.
• BNo, because the gas bubbles are water vapor, which is still water in a gaseous state of m…
• CYes, because heating water breaks water molecules into hydrogen gas and oxygen gas perman…
• DNo, because boiling water creates brand new food nutrients.

A student tests two unknown powders. Powder A dissolves in water without any temperature change. Powder B fizzes violently, produces a gas, and turns the solution warm. How do these two processes compare?

• APowder A underwent a chemical change, while Powder B underwent a physical change.
• BBoth powders underwent chemical changes because both were added to water.
• CPowder A underwent a physical change (dissolving), while Powder B underwent a chemical ch…
• DNeither powder changed at all.

What primary force causes an apple to drop from a tree branch down toward the grass?

• AMagnetism
• BAir resistance
• CGravity
• DFriction

An astronaut on the Moon drops a heavy hammer and a light feather from the same height at the exact same moment. Because the Moon has no air resistance, what will happen?

• AThe hammer will fall much faster than the feather.
• BBoth the hammer and the feather will hit the ground at the exact same time.
• CThe feather will float up into space while the hammer falls.
• DNeither object will fall because there is no gravity on the Moon.

A basketball is thrown straight up into the air. It slows down as it rises, stops briefly at its highest point, and accelerates back down. What force causes the ball to slow down on its way up and accelerate downward?

• AEarth's gravitational force pulling downward continuously
• BAir pressure pushing the basketball sideways
• CMagnetic repulsion from clouds in the sky
• DElectrostatic attraction to Earth's equator

Earth exerts a gravitational force on all objects near its surface. In which direction does this gravitational force always act?

• AToward Earth's North Pole only
• BToward the center of Earth
• CAway from Earth out into space
• DHorizontally toward the ocean

A solid metal cannonball and a small wooden marble are dropped from a high tower inside a vacuum chamber where all air has been removed. Which object lands first?

• AThe solid metal cannonball because it has more mass
• BThe small wooden marble because it experiences less gravity
• CBoth objects land at the exact same moment
• DThe wooden marble floats in mid-air

On Earth, a crumpled sheet of paper falls to the ground much faster than a flat, unfolded sheet of paper of identical mass. What explains this difference in motion?

• AEarth's gravity pulls harder on crumpled paper than flat paper.
• BThe flat paper has a larger surface area, experiencing more upward air resistance.
• CThe flat paper loses mass as it falls through the air.
• DCrumpled paper gains extra gravitational mass when squeezed.

Which statement accurately describes the difference between an object's mass and its weight?

• AMass is the amount of matter in an object, while weight is the gravitational force pullin…
• BMass changes when an object travels to the Moon, but weight stays the same everywhere.
• CMass is measured with a spring scale, while weight is measured with a graduated cylinder.
• DMass and weight are two words for the exact same physical property.

What is the primary original source of energy for almost all ecosystems on Earth?

• AEarth's hot molten core
• BThe Sun
• COcean tides
• DWind currents

What process allows green plants to capture light energy from the Sun and convert it into stored chemical energy in sugar?

• ACellular respiration
• BPhotosynthesis
• CTranspiration
• DCondensation

How do animals obtain the energy needed to fuel their bodily functions, growth, and movement?

• ABy absorbing light directly through their skin from the Sun
• BBy consuming plants or other animals that contain stored chemical energy
• CBy taking in water and breathing air without needing food
• DBy converting heat from warm rocks directly into cellular energy

Which energy transformation occurs when a rabbit eats wild grass?

• ASolar light energy transforms directly into nuclear energy in the rabbit's ears.
• BChemical energy stored in the plant is transferred to the rabbit to power its body.
• CThermal energy from the soil converts into electrical energy in the rabbit's feet.
• DMotion energy is destroyed completely during chewing.

Consider a food chain consisting of clover, grasshoppers, frogs, and hawks. How does energy flow through this chain?

• AEnergy flows from the hawk down through the frog to the clover.
• BEnergy flows from clover (producer) to grasshopper (herbivore), then to frog and hawk (ca…
• CEnergy cycles endlessly in equal amounts between all four organisms without any loss.
• DEnergy originates in the frog and moves outward to the Sun and clover.

When a cheetah sprints to catch a gazelle, what happens to the chemical energy stored in the food the cheetah previously ate?

• AAll chemical energy turns 100% into permanent body weight with zero waste.
• BChemical energy transforms into mechanical (kinetic) motion energy and thermal heat energ…
• CThe chemical energy vanishes into empty space without changing form.
• DChemical energy turns into solid mineral rock inside the cheetah's muscles.

Which statement best explains how energy from the Sun eventually powers a top carnivore like an owl?

• AOwls absorb sunlight directly through their feathers while sleeping during the day.
• BTrees capture solar energy via photosynthesis, mice eat tree seeds for chemical energy, a…
• COwls drink river water heated by solar radiation to satisfy all their energy needs.
• DOwls swallow soil enriched by sunlight to obtain chemical energy.

What are the two primary non-living inputs plants take in from their environment to produce food energy during photosynthesis?

• ASoil dirt and solid fertilizer
• BAir (carbon dioxide) and water
• COxygen gas and sugar
• DRock minerals and shade

Where do plants get most of the physical matter (mass) needed to build their heavy trunks, branches, and leaves as they grow?

• AFrom solid soil particles absorbed through their roots
• BFrom carbon dioxide gas in the air combined with water
• CFrom earthworms and decomposing insects in the ground
• DFrom liquid fertilizer added to the soil

A student sets up two identical potted bean plants in sunny windows. Plant A receives 100 mL of water every two days. Plant B receives no water at all. What will happen to Plant B after two weeks?

• APlant B will grow taller than Plant A because its roots will search for light.
• BPlant B will wilt, stop growing, and eventually die because plants require water for phot…
• CPlant B will turn into a cactus to store air.
• DPlant B will stay healthy by absorbing mass directly from dry soil.

A plant is placed inside a sealed transparent glass box with soil, water, and sunlight. If a chemical filter removes all carbon dioxide from the air inside the box, what will happen to the plant's growth?

• AThe plant will grow much faster than normal.
• BThe plant will stop growing and lose mass because it lacks the carbon needed to make food.
• CThe plant will absorb nitrogen gas to make sugar instead.
• DThe plant's height will double every day.

Hydroponics is a method of growing healthy plants in water containing dissolved nutrients without any soil. What does hydroponic farming prove about plant requirements?

• APlants require water, air, light, and nutrients to grow, but soil itself is not strictly…
• BPlants get all of their growth matter directly from solid dirt particles.
• CPlants do not need air or carbon dioxide to build leaf tissue.
• DSunlight is unnecessary if plants are grown in water.

Which gas do green plant leaves absorb from the surrounding air to perform photosynthesis?

• AOxygen
• BNitrogen
• CCarbon dioxide
• DHelium

In a famous historical experiment, a scientist planted a 2 kg willow sapling in 90 kg of dry soil. After 5 years of adding only rainwater, the tree weighed 77 kg, but the soil mass decreased by only 0.06 kg. What did this experiment demonstrate?

• AThe tree gained almost all its mass from soil dirt.
• BThe tree gained most of its mass from water and carbon dioxide in the air, not from soil.
• CSoil mass increases as trees grow larger.
• DTrees do not need water or air to grow.

If a healthy green plant is kept in total darkness for several weeks while receiving plenty of water and air, what will happen and why?

• AIt will thrive and grow larger because plants prefer shade.
• BIt will yellow, weaken, and die because it lacks light energy to convert carbon dioxide a…
• CIt will produce flowers to attract night insects for food energy.
• DIt will absorb soil particles to replace sunlight energy.

What primary roles does water play in supporting plant health and growth?

• AWater acts as a chemical reactant in photosynthesis and transports dissolved nutrients th…
• BWater provides light energy directly to leaves.
• CWater replaces the need for carbon dioxide gas in sugar production.
• DWater turns into solid rock inside roots to anchor the plant.

Which statement accurately summarizes how plants acquire matter and energy for survival?

• APlants eat soil for matter and drink water for energy.
• BPlants use energy from light to transform carbon dioxide and water into organic matter (s…
• CPlants absorb energy from water and matter from sunlight.
• DPlants create new matter out of nothing without using environmental inputs.

In a simple ecosystem, green plants and algae belong to which functional role?

• ADecomposers
• BPrimary consumers
• CProducers
• DApex predators

Which of the following forest animals is classified as a primary consumer (herbivore)?

• ARed fox
• BWhite-tailed deer
• CRed-tailed hawk
• DTimber wolf