MAP Science Practice (Grades 3-5) — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which of these is an example of a physical change?
- Wood burning in a campfire
- Ice melting into water (Correct answer)
- Iron rusting
- Bread baking in an oven
Correct answer: Ice melting into water
Melting changes the state of water but not what it is made of, so it is a physical change.
In a physical change, a substance changes its shape, size, or state but stays the same substance. Ice melting into water is still H2O, just in liquid form. Burning wood, rusting iron, and baking bread are chemical changes because they produce new substances with different properties. A good test is asking whether you could easily get the original material back; frozen water can be melted and refrozen.
Question 2: What is the main function of roots in a plant?
- To make food using sunlight
- To produce seeds
- To absorb water and nutrients from the soil (Correct answer)
- To attract pollinators
Correct answer: To absorb water and nutrients from the soil
Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil and anchor the plant.
Each plant part has a job. Roots grow underground, where they absorb water and nutrients from the soil and hold the plant firmly in place. Leaves make food through photosynthesis using sunlight, flowers produce seeds and attract pollinators, and the stem carries water and food between the parts. Knowing plant structures and their functions is a core life science skill.
Question 3: A student places a metal spoon in a cup of hot cocoa. After a few minutes, the handle feels warm. How did the heat travel through the spoon?
- Radiation
- Convection
- Conduction (Correct answer)
- Evaporation
Correct answer: Conduction
Heat moved through the solid metal spoon by conduction.
Conduction is the transfer of heat through direct contact, usually in solids. The hot cocoa heats the bottom of the spoon, and the heat passes from particle to particle up the metal handle. Convection moves heat through liquids and gases as they flow, and radiation transfers heat through empty space, such as the warmth from the sun. Metals are good conductors, which is why the spoon warms quickly.
Question 4: Which of the following best describes the water cycle step called evaporation?
- Water vapor cools and forms clouds
- Liquid water changes into water vapor and rises into the air (Correct answer)
- Rain or snow falls to the ground
- Water flows over the land into rivers
Correct answer: Liquid water changes into water vapor and rises into the air
Evaporation is when liquid water turns into water vapor, often because of heat from the sun.
The water cycle has several stages. Evaporation occurs when the sun heats liquid water, turning it into water vapor that rises into the atmosphere. Condensation is when that vapor cools and forms clouds, precipitation is when water falls as rain or snow, and runoff is when water flows across the land. Understanding each stage in order helps explain how water is constantly recycled on Earth.
Question 5: Which object would most likely be attracted to a magnet?
- A plastic ruler
- A wooden block
- A steel paper clip (Correct answer)
- A rubber eraser
Correct answer: A steel paper clip
Steel contains iron, which is attracted to magnets.
Magnets attract materials that contain iron, nickel, or cobalt. Steel is made mostly of iron, so a steel paper clip will be pulled toward a magnet. Plastic, wood, and rubber are not magnetic materials and will not be attracted. Not all metals are magnetic; for example, aluminum and copper are metals that a magnet does not attract.
Question 6: Why do we see different phases of the Moon over the course of a month?
- Earth's shadow covers different parts of the Moon
- Clouds block parts of the Moon
- We see different amounts of the Moon's sunlit side as it orbits Earth (Correct answer)
- The Moon changes its shape
Correct answer: We see different amounts of the Moon's sunlit side as it orbits Earth
As the Moon orbits Earth, we see different portions of its lit half, creating the phases.
The Sun always lights up one half of the Moon. As the Moon travels around Earth over about 29.5 days, the part of the lit half that faces Earth changes, which we see as phases from new moon to full moon and back. Earth's shadow only covers the Moon during a lunar eclipse, which is a separate event. The Moon itself never changes shape, and clouds only block our view temporarily.
MAP Science Practice (Grades 3-5)
Which of these is an example of a physical change?