Vermont Comprehensive Assessment Program Science — Grade 5

A student stirs 10 grams of white sugar into a glass of warm water. After one minute, the sugar can no longer be seen, but the water tastes sweet. Which statement best explains what happened to the sugar?

• AThe sugar dissolved into particles too small to be seen, but it is still in the water.
• BThe sugar was completely destroyed and turned into liquid water.
• CThe sugar evaporated into the surrounding air as a gas.
• DThe sugar reacted with the water and turned into a brand new solid substance.

A student places an ice cube inside a sealed zip-top plastic bag and measures its mass on a balance. The total mass is 50 grams. After the ice cube completely melts into liquid water, what will the balance show?

• ALess than 50 grams because liquid is lighter than solid ice.
• BExactly 50 grams because mass is conserved during a state change.
• CMore than 50 grams because water expands as it melts.
• D0 grams because the ice dissolved into the plastic bag.

A student wants to test four different objects to see which one is attracted to a magnet. Which object will be pulled toward the magnet?

• AA wooden craft stick
• BAn aluminum soda can
• CA steel paperclip
• DA plastic drinking straw

A student builds a simple electric circuit with a battery and a light bulb. Which object placed between the wire ends will complete the circuit and cause the bulb to light up?

• AA copper wire
• BA rubber band
• CA plastic ruler
• DA wooden popsicle stick

When baking soda powder is added to a beaker of vinegar, bubbles immediately begin to form and rise to the surface. What does the formation of gas bubbles indicate?

• AA chemical reaction took place and formed a new gas substance.
• BThe baking soda melted into a liquid state.
• CThe vinegar froze into a solid state.
• DThe baking soda gained mass from the air.

A student drops an apple while standing in a Vermont orchard. In which direction does Earth's gravitational force pull the falling apple?

• AStraight down, toward the center of Earth
• BToward the North Pole
• CToward the nearest tall tree
• DIn the direction the wind is blowing

A rabbit eats clover leaves in a pasture, and later a red fox eats the rabbit. Where did the energy stored in the clover originally come from?

• ASunlight captured during photosynthesis
• BNutrients absorbed from deep underground soil
• CRainwater that fell from clouds
• DHeat generated by the rabbit's body

A student mixes 15 grams of table salt into 100 grams of pure water in a beaker. What is the total mass of the saltwater solution after the salt dissolves completely?

• A85 grams
• B100 grams
• C115 grams
• D130 grams

A student places a metal spoon and a wooden spoon into a bowl of hot soup. After two minutes, the handle of the metal spoon feels hot, but the wooden handle does not. Why?

• AMetal is a good conductor of heat, while wood is a poor heat conductor.
• BMetal generates its own heat when placed in liquids.
• CWood absorbs all heat energy and destroys it.
• DMetal attracts cold air from the room into the soup.

A student weighs a deflated basketball on a digital balance and finds it has a mass of 570 grams. After pumping air into the ball until it is firm, the balance reads 578 grams. What does this experiment prove?

• AAir has mass and is made of matter.
• BAir has no mass and reduces object weight.
• CPumping air changes the basketball from plastic to metal.
• DAir pressure destroys mass inside closed containers.

A maple tree sapling grows from a tiny 2-gram seed into a large 200-kilogram tree over several decades. Where do plants get most of the matter needed to increase their mass?

• AFrom carbon dioxide in the air and water from the soil
• BFrom solid dirt particles absorbed directly through the roots
• CFrom fertilizer chemicals manufactured inside insects
• DFrom sunlight particles that turn into solid wood

What is the primary role of green plants like ferns and birch trees in a Vermont forest ecosystem?

• AProducers that make their own food energy using sunlight
• BDecomposers that break down dead animals into soil
• CPrimary carnivores that hunt small forest insects
• DScavengers that consume abandoned animal remains

A student observes shelf fungi growing on a fallen dead log in a forest. What essential ecological function do fungi perform in an ecosystem?

• ADecomposers that break down dead matter and recycle nutrients back into the environment
• BProducers that convert wind energy into plant seeds
• CHerbivores that hunt live forest animals for energy
• DApex predators that control bird populations

A white-tailed deer feeds on clover, acorns, and tree leaves in a green meadow. How is the deer classified in this food web?

• APrimary consumer (herbivore)
• BProducer (autotroph)
• CSecondary consumer (carnivore)
• DDecomposer (saprophytic)

Which sequence correctly shows the flow of energy through a simple Vermont meadow food chain?

• ASun -> Grass -> Grasshopper -> Robin
• BRobin -> Grasshopper -> Grass -> Sun
• CGrasshopper -> Grass -> Sun -> Robin
• DSun -> Robin -> Grasshopper -> Grass

During daylight hours, green plant leaves absorb a gas from the surrounding air to perform photosynthesis. Which gas is taken in by leaves for this process?

• ACarbon dioxide
• BOxygen
• CHelium
• DNitrogen

In Lake Champlain, a northern pike fish hunts and eats yellow perch, which feed on aquatic insects. What role does the northern pike play in this food web?

• ACarnivore / predator
• BProducer / plant
• CDecomposer / fungus
• DHerbivore / plant-eater

In a food web diagram, what do the arrows between organisms represent?

• AThe movement of energy and matter from the organism eaten to the organism consuming it
• BThe physical direction organisms travel when hunting
• CThe relative body size of each animal
• DThe age of each organism in the habitat

A gardener grows lettuce plants in a hydroponic greenhouse using liquid nutrient solution with no soil at all. The lettuce plants grow large and healthy. What does this observation demonstrate?

• ASoil is not the primary source of matter for plant growth.
• BPlants do not require water to grow.
• CPlants grow better in complete darkness.
• DSoil is made entirely of sunlight.

If a disease destroys all green plants in a garden habitat, what will happen first to the plant-eating insects living there?

• ATheir population will decrease due to a lack of food energy.
• BThey will immediately begin making their own food from sunlight.
• CThey will increase in number because they have more space.
• DThey will turn into decomposers and eat rocks.

The Sun appears much larger and brighter in Earth's sky than any other star in the universe. Why does the Sun look so bright to us?

• AThe Sun is much closer to Earth than any other star.
• BThe Sun is the largest star in the entire universe.
• CThe Sun burns oxygen gas while other stars do not.
• DThe Sun reflects light from the Moon.

What primary motion of Earth causes the daily cycle of day and night?

• AEarth rotating on its axis once every 24 hours
• BEarth revolving around the Sun once every 365 days
• CThe Moon orbiting around Earth once every 29 days
• DThe Sun moving around Earth once every 12 hours

Rain falls from clouds in the sky down onto Vermont rivers and lakes. Which two Earth spheres are interacting during this precipitation event?

• AAtmosphere and hydrosphere
• BGeosphere and biosphere
• CExosphere and cryosphere
• DMagnetosphere and geosphere

Where is the vast majority of water on Earth's surface located?

• AIn saltwater oceans and seas
• BIn freshwater lakes and ponds
• CIn underground water aquifers
• DIn atmospheric water vapor clouds

A student measures the shadow of a flagpole at 8:00 AM, 12:00 PM (solar noon), and 4:00 PM on a sunny October day. When will the shadow be the shortest?

• AAt 12:00 PM (solar noon), when the Sun is highest in the sky
• BAt 8:00 AM, when the Sun is low near the horizon
• CAt 4:00 PM, when the Sun is setting in the west
• DThe shadow will remain exactly the same length all day

Tree roots grow deep into riverbank soil and anchor the soil particles, preventing the riverbank from washing away during heavy rain. Which two Earth spheres are interacting here?

• ABiosphere (trees) and geosphere (soil)
• BAtmosphere (air) and exosphere (space)
• CHydrosphere (water) and atmosphere (air)
• DGeosphere (rocks) and cryosphere (ice)

Which action is a positive human practice that helps conserve Earth's natural resources and protect ecosystems?

• ARecycling aluminum cans, paper, and glass containers
• BPouring motor oil directly into storm drains
• CLeaving household water faucets running continuously
• DBurning plastic trash in open outdoor piles

While Earth has abundant total water, fresh water is limited. Where is most of Earth's fresh water locked up?

• AIn glaciers and polar ice caps
• BIn freshwater rivers and streams
• CIn swampy wetlands
• DIn liquid raindrops in clouds

A student engineering team is designing a birdhouse. The team specifies that the birdhouse must keep birds dry (a requirement) and cannot cost more than $15 in materials (a limit). In engineering, what is the $15 cost limit called?

• AA constraint
• BA criterion
• CA prototype
• DA variable

To conduct a fair scientific test comparing how fast ice melts on aluminum versus wood, what variable should the student keep identical for both tests?

• AThe starting size and temperature of the ice cubes
• BThe material of the block the ice is placed on
• CThe final color of the melted water
• DThe price of the material blocks

A student seals 100 mL of room-temperature air inside a flexible plastic syringe. When the syringe is placed into a bowl of hot water, the plunger slowly moves outward, expanding the air volume to 120 mL. Which particle-level explanation accounts for this volume increase?

• AHeating causes the air particles to move faster and spread farther apart.
• BHeating creates brand new air particles inside the syringe.
• CThe air particles expand in size like tiny inflating balloons.
• DHot water leaks through the plastic wall and adds liquid inside.

A student measures 10 g of baking soda and 50 g of vinegar. Reaction A is carried out in an open beaker, and the final mixture weighs 56 g. Reaction B is carried out inside a tightly sealed heavy ziplock bag, and the final mixture plus bag weighs 60 g. Why did Reaction A lose 4 grams of mass?

• ACarbon dioxide gas escaped from the open beaker into the room air.
• BMass was destroyed during the chemical reaction in the open beaker.
• CThe vinegar destroyed the baking soda particles permanently.
• DThe sealed bag created extra mass out of sunlight.

A student tests the solubility of four unknown white powders in 100 mL of water at 20°C: - Powder W: 36 g dissolved - Powder X: 0.2 g dissolved - Powder Y: 204 g dissolved - Powder Z: 12 g dissolved Which powder is least soluble in water at 20°C?

• APowder X
• BPowder W
• CPowder Z
• DPowder Y

A student mixes two clear, colorless liquids in a beaker. Which set of observations provides the strongest evidence that a chemical reaction occurred?

• AA yellow solid precipitate forms and the beaker temperature drops by 5°C.
• BThe liquid volume increases from 50 mL to 100 mL.
• CThe mixture remains clear and stays at room temperature.
• DThe liquids mix together smoothly without changing color or temperature.

Two students drop identical rubber balls from a height of 1 meter: Student A is in Burlington, Vermont, and Student B is in Sydney, Australia (on the opposite side of Earth). What direction do both balls accelerate when released?

• ABoth balls accelerate toward the center of Earth.
• BBoth balls accelerate toward the North Pole.
• CStudent A's ball falls down, while Student B's ball floats up into space.
• DBoth balls accelerate toward the Sun.

A red fox gains energy to run through a snowy forest by hunting wild mice. The mice gained their energy by eating dandelion seeds. Trace the original source of the fox's movement energy back to its origin.

• ANuclear energy from the Sun captured by dandelions via photosynthesis
• BThermal energy released from underground soil rocks
• CKinetic energy from falling autumn rainwater
• DChemical energy produced directly inside the fox's paws

A student pours 250 g of liquid water into a plastic container, seals the lid tightly, and places it in a freezer overnight. The next morning, the water has frozen solid and expanded slightly in volume. What is the mass of the frozen ice block?

• A250 g
• B275 g
• C225 g
• D0 g

A student is given an unlabeled container of white powder. She performs three tests: 1. Adds water: Powder dissolves completely. 2. Adds vinegar: No gas bubbles form. 3. Tests electrical conductivity of the water solution: Light bulb shines brightly. Which material matches these test results?

• ATable salt (NaCl)
• BBaking soda
• CCornstarch
• DPowdered chalk (calcium carbonate)

A rain puddle on a concrete sidewalk disappears after three hours of warm sunshine. Which particle-level description explains what happened to the water?

• ALiquid water particles absorbed solar energy, moved faster, and escaped into the air as g…
• BLiquid water particles shrunk until they vanished into nothingness.
• CLiquid water particles sank through solid concrete rocks into Earth's core.
• DLiquid water particles transformed into solid dirt particles.

An iron nail left outdoors in damp Vermont air turns reddish-brown and flaky after several weeks. What evidence proves this rusting process is a chemical change?

• AA new substance (iron oxide) with different physical properties was created.
• BThe nail changed shape because it was crushed by heavy rain.
• CThe iron melted into liquid form due to cold weather.
• DThe nail lost all of its atoms and became weightless.

If a heavy steel bowling ball and a light rubber tennis ball are dropped simultaneously from a tower in a vacuum chamber (where air resistance is removed), what will happen?

• ABoth balls will strike the ground at the exact same time because gravity accelerates all…
• BThe heavy bowling ball will hit the ground much faster because gravity pulls harder on he…
• CThe light tennis ball will float upward because light objects have negative mass.
• DThe bowling ball will stop mid-air because of its weight.

A student dissolves 20 grams of sugar into 180 grams of warm water. She then cools the mixture until 5 grams of sugar crystallizes out of solution at the bottom. What is the total combined mass of the liquid plus the solid crystals?

• A200 grams
• B195 grams
• C180 grams
• D205 grams

A student tests the hardness of four minerals using scratch test items: - Mineral A scratches a copper penny (hardness 3) but is scratched by a glass plate (hardness 5.5). - Mineral B is scratched by a fingernail (hardness 2.5). - Mineral C scratches a steel file (hardness 6.5). - Mineral D is scratched by a copper penny but scratches a fingernail. Which mineral is the hardest?

• AMineral C
• BMineral A
• CMineral D
• DMineral B

Plants store excess food energy in the form of starches inside roots and seeds. How do animals utilize this stored chemical energy when they consume plant roots like carrots?

• AAnimals break down starch molecules during cellular respiration to release heat and kinet…
• BAnimals convert plant starch directly into liquid water inside their blood.
• CAnimals turn plant starch into solar radiation that shines out through their skin.
• DAnimals destroy starch molecules so they no longer exist in any form.

A student pushes the plunger of a sealed air-filled syringe halfway down. The air inside becomes harder to compress as the volume decreases. Why does air pressure increase inside the syringe?

• AGas particles are forced into a smaller space, colliding with container walls more freque…
• BThe gas particles grow larger and stick together into a solid block.
• CThe number of air particles doubles every time the plunger is pushed.
• DAir particles stop moving completely when compressed.

A student measures the temperature of 100 mL of room-temperature water (20°C). He adds 10 g of calcium chloride solid and stirs. The temperature increases rapidly to 38°C. What type of process occurred?

• AAn exothermic process where chemical energy was converted into thermal energy
• BAn endothermic process where thermal energy was absorbed and destroyed
• CA nuclear reaction that created new uranium elements
• DA mechanical process where stirring added 18°C of friction

In a famous historical experiment, Jan van Helmont planted a 2.3 kg willow tree in a pot containing 90.7 kg of dry soil. For 5 years, he added only rainwater. After 5 years, the tree weighed 76.7 kg, but the soil mass decreased by only 0.06 kg. What conclusion is supported by these data?

• AThe tree gained mass primarily from water and air, not from consuming solid soil.
• BThe tree gained mass by converting solid soil directly into wood.
• CSoil is the sole source of mass for growing plants.
• DWater turned into dry soil inside the plant roots.

In a Vermont forest ecosystem, barred owls prey on meadow voles (mice), which feed on plant seeds. If a viral disease significantly reduces the barred owl population, what immediate change is most likely to occur?

• AThe meadow vole population will increase, leading to greater consumption of plant seeds.
• BThe plant seed population will double immediately due to lack of owls.
• CThe meadow voles will turn into producers and stop eating seeds.
• DThe forest ecosystem will completely collapse within 24 hours.