School Improvement in Maryland

Using the State Curriculum: Science, Grade 5

Skills and Processes | Earth/Space | Life | Chemistry | Physics | Environmental

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Standard 4.0 Chemistry

Topic B. Conservation of Matter

Indicator 1. Cite evidence to support the statement that, "No matter how many parts of an object are assembled, the mass of the whole object made is always the same as the sum of the parts."

Objective b. Use evidence from investigations with a variety of materials, such as water to describe how matter can change from one form to another without the loss of any mass.

Selected Response Item

Use the passage 'Making a Splash on Mars' to answer the following.

On Mars, 100 grams of ice changes into a liquid.

When compared to the mass of the solid ice, the mass of the liquid water is

  1. greater than the mass of the ice
  2. one half the mass of the ice
  3. equal to the mass of the ice
  4. twice the mass of the ice
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_122.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item

A container is filled with 250 milliliters of water. The total mass of the container and the water is 300 grams.

What is the total mass of the container and the water after being in a freezer for 2 hours?

  1.  50 grams
  2. 250 grams
  3. 300 grams
  4. 550 grams
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_028.xml

Correct Answer:
C

Selected Response Item

A student boils 100 grams of water to form water vapor (gas).

What method should the student use to determine that the mass of the water vapor is equal to 100 grams?

  1. measuring the amount of water vapor (gas) in the air
  2. collecting the water vapor (gas) and cooling it back to a liquid
  3. weighing the beaker before and after the water is boiled
  4. comparing the temperature of the boiling water to the temperature of the water vapor (gas)
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_007.xml

Correct Answer:
B

Brief Constructed Response (BCR) Item

A student wants to compare the amount of matter in a scoop of frozen ice cream to that of a scoop of melted ice cream.

Explain how the student might make this comparison. In your explanation, be sure to include

  • the equipment needed
  • the likely outcome of the comparison

Write your answer in the space provided.

/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_104.xml

View Scoring Information

Selected Response Item

Baking soda mixed with vinegar produces carbon dioxide and water.

The best way to prove that no mass was lost during this reaction is to

  1. use equal masses of baking soda and vinegar
  2. determine the masses of all the substances before and after the reaction
  3. determine the mass of the carbon dioxide and water that is produced
  4. compare the mass of the vinegar and water to be certain they are equal
/toolkit/vsc/assessment_items/msa_science_5_111.xml

Correct Answer:
B