CAMBRIDGE PRIMARY SCIENCE 4 UNIT 3: 3 MATERIALS
Name ___________________________________ Date _____________
Worksheet 3.1
Make a particle model
You will need: a rectangular box such as a shoe box, a piece of cardboard that fits the width
of the box to divide it into sections, six marbles.
Follow these steps:
Step 1
• Put the divider about halfway along the bottom of the box to decrease the space
for the marbles. Put the marbles in one section only. Shake the box in all directions,
but without lifting the box from the table.
• Observe the movement of the marbles.
• Observe the spaces between the marbles.
Step 2
• Put the divider close to one end of the box to decrease the space for the marbles even more.
This time the marbles must be as closely packed as possible. Shake the box in all directions,
but without lifting the box from the table.
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• Observe the movement of the marbles.
How is the movement different to the movement of the marbles in steps 1 and 2?
Learners should observe that there is more movement of the marbles in step 1 and
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that the spaces between the marbles are also bigger in step 1.
• Observe the spaces between the marbles.
How are the spaces different to the spaces between the marbles in steps 1 and 2?
Learners should observe that there is more movement of the marbles in step 1 and
that the spaces between the marbles are also bigger in step 1.
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Questions
1 You have made two arrangements with the box and marbles.
a Which one do you think is a model for the particles in a solid?
The arrangement in which the marbles are closely packed together in the box.
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b Which do you think is a model for the particles in a liquid?
The arrangement in which the divider is halfway across the box.
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c Say why you chose these arrangements for particles in a solid and a liquid.
When we shook the box with the marbles are closely packed together, the marbles
could not move around freely as there was very little space between them. They could only
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move slightly in the same position. This how a solid behaves in the particle model.
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In the arrangement in which the divider is halfway across the box, the marbles could move
around and change their position a bit as there was more space between them.
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This is how a liquid behaves in the particle model.
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Help sheet
The drawings show the arrangement of particles in solids and liquids.
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Stretch sheet
2 What else could you have used to represent the particles of matter?
Learners’ own answers: dried peas or lentils, for example.
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3 Fill in the Venn diagram to compare the arrangement and movement of particles in
solids and liquids.
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Name ___________________________________ Date _____________
Worksheet 3.2
Make a sand clock
A sand timer is used to measure time. Sand flows from one glass bulb through a narrow neck into
another glass bulb below.
Different sand timers are made to measure different lengths of time. For example, in sand timers
that we use to time how long eggs must boil, it takes about four minutes for all the sand to flow
from the top bulb into the bottom bulb. Different factors affect how fast the sand flows.
You are going to make your own sand timer.
You will need: two jars or bottles of the same type, such as soft drink bottles or jam jars,
sand, aluminum foil, electrical tape or duct tape, a timer, a sharp pencil.
• Decide in your group how you will use the materials to make your sand timer.
• Make the sand timer and time how long it takes for all of the sand to flow out of the top bottle.
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Questions
1 How long did it take for all of the sand to flow out of the top bottle?
The time will vary depending on factors in answer to question 2.
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2 Name two factors that can affect how fast the sand flows.
The volume of sand used, the size of sand grains, the dryness of sand and the size of the hole in
the foil.
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3 a Suggest how you could increase the amount of time it takes for the sand to flow
from one bottle in to the other bottle.
Use more sand; make the hole in the foil smaller.
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b How could you shorten the time?
Use less sand; make the hole in the foil bigger.
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Help sheet
• Half-fill one bottle with sand. Cover the top of the bottle with the small piece of
aluminium foil, shape it to fit the bottle and tape it in place.
• Make a hole through the middle of the piece of aluminium foil with a sharp pencil.
Check that it is large enough for sand to flow freely.
• Place the second and empty bottle on top of the first, neck-to-neck.
Put tape around the necks of the two bottles to hold them together.
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Stretch sheet
4 How can you make the timer measure a certain amount of time, such as the time for
hardboiling an egg? Think of a way and try it.
Suggested method:
• Decide on the time you want measured. You can use the time measured for the sand to flow out of the bottle to decide if you need
more _________________________________________________________________________________________________________
or less sand.
• Fill a bottle with the amount of sand you think you will need.
• Tape a piece of aluminium foil to the neck of the bottle as you did before. Make a hole in the foil.
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• Pour the sand out of the bottle through the hole in the foil into a container.
• Use the timer to measure how much sand flows in the number of minutes you have chosen. If you run out of sand before the time is
up, try again with a smaller hole. If there is still a lot of sand left in the bottle, then you make the hole a little bigger.
5 Would this be a good clock to try to tell the time with? Say why or why not.
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No. It is good for measuring small periods of time, but you would have keep turning it
every few minutes or every hour throughout the day and keep a record of each hour
that passes (or similar answer).
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Name ___________________________________ Date _____________
Worksheet 3.3A
Compare melting in different solids
‘Melting point’ is the temperature at which a solid melts.
Different solids have different melting points.
Look at the bar chart, which shows the melting points of four solids.
1 What unit is used to measure melting point on this graph?
Degrees centigrade (°C)
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2 a Which solid has the highest melting point?
Sugar
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b What is the melting point of this solid?
185°C
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3 a Which solid has the lowest melting point?
Ice
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b What is the melting point of this solid?
0°C
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4 Beeswax melts at 62 °C. Draw a bar on the graph to show this.
Learners to draw bar for beeswax on graph to a height of 62 °C.
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Name ___________________________________ Date _____________
Worksheet 3.3B
Compare melting in different solids
‘Melting point’ is the temperature at which a solid melts.
Different solids have different melting points.
Look at the bar chart, which shows the melting points of four solids.
1 What unit is used to measure melting point on this graph?
degree centigrade (°C)
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2 a Which solid has the highest melting point?
Sugar
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b What is the melting point of this solid?
185°C
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3 a Which solid has the lowest melting point?
Ice
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b What is the melting point of this solid?
0°C
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4 Beeswax melts at 62 °C. Draw a bar on the graph to show this.
5 Our body temperature is 37.6 °C. Why do you think chocolate melts in your mouth?
Chocolate melts at 36°C, which is just below your body temperature, so the warmth
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in your mouth melts it.
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6 Why should people who live in very warm places keep butter and chocolate in the fridge?
Butter and chocolate will melt at room temperature in very warm places, so they should
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be kept in the fridge so they stay solid.
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Name ___________________________________ Date _____________
Worksheet 3.3C
Compare melting in different solids
‘Melting point’ is the temperature at which a solid melts.
Different solids have different melting points.
Look at the bar chart, which shows the melting points of four solids.
1 What unit is used to measure melting point on this graph?
degree centigrade (°C)
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________
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2 a Which solid has the highest melting point?
Sugar
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b What is the melting point of this solid?
185°C
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3 a Which solid has the lowest melting point?
Ice
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b What is the melting point of this solid?
0°C
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4 Beeswax melts at 62 °C. Draw a bar on the graph to show this.
Learners to draw bar for beeswax on graph to a height of 62 °C.
5 Our body temperature is 37.6 °C. Why do you think chocolate melts in your mouth?
Chocolate melts at 36°C, which is just below your body temperature, so the warmth
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in your mouth melts it.
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6 Why should people who live in very warm places keep butter and chocolate in the fridge?
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Butter and chocolate will melt at room temperature in very warm places, so they should
be kept in the fridge so they stay solid.
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7 Which of the three melted solids, chocolate, sugar or butter, would give you the most
serious burn if you dropped some on your skin? Explain why.
Sugar, because it has the highest melting point of 185°C.
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8 The table shows the melting points of some solids.
Solid Melting point in °C
Ice lolly –3
Butter 35
Lard (animal fat) 30
Beeswax 62
Margarine 36
Frozen milk –1
Frozen green tea –0.5
a What pattern can you notice in the data?
The data shows that the solids that contain fats melt at a higher temperature than
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the solid that is made mainly of water.
b Is there enough data for you to draw a conclusion about the pattern you observed?
Explain your answer.
No, there is not enough data to draw a conclusion. You would have to test the melting points of
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number of other solids that contain a lot of fat or a lot of water and compare their melting
points.
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Name ___________________________________ Date _____________
Worksheet 3.4
Observe chemical reactions
DO NOT ANSWER 3.4.THIS IS
This is a practical activity.
NOT INCLUDED IN EOS1
For Part 1 you will need: bicarbonate of soda (baking soda), vinegar, a teaspoon,
a glass jar or beaker.
Part 1
Your teacher will light the candle and the hold metal spoon over the flame.
Observe what happens after a few minutes.
1 Name one physical change you observe when the candle burns.
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2 Name two chemical changes you observe when the candle burns.
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3 How did the spoon help us to know that a chemical reaction happened?
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Part 2
• Put two teaspoons of bicarbonate of soda into the jar.
• Pour some vinegar into the jar.
• Observe what happens.
1 Describe and make a drawing of what you observed in the jar after you added the vinegar.
DO NOT ANSWER 3.4.THIS IS
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NOT INCLUDED IN EOS1
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2 Did the vinegar and bicarbonate of soda change when you mixed them together?
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3 Is this a chemical change? Say why or why not.
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Help sheet
We can look for these changes to tell if a chemical change or reaction has happened.
• The colour changes.
• A new solid forms.
• Bubbles of gas form.
• There is a change in smell.
DO NOT ANSWER 3.4.THIS IS
NOT INCLUDED IN EOS1
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Stretch sheet
Part 1
4 Why does the candle get shorter if you leave it to burn?
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Part 2
5 What new substance do you think forms when you mix bicarbonate of soda with vinegar?
Think about what makes cakes rise in the oven.
Find out about a way you could check if you are right.
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DO NOT ANSWER 3.4.THIS IS
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NOT INCLUDED IN EOS1
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