Primary 3 · Science · Diversity: Materials

Diversity: Materials questions for Primary 3 Science

10 questions to work through online, 2 of them written out the way the paper asks. Answer and you get the working straight away, then a score at the end. No sign-up, and you can retake it as often as you like.

Choosing for a property
Reading a property table
Matching property to job
Testing a property
Same material, different objects
When a property is a problem
One object, several materials
Naming a property
Fair comparison

0 of 10 answered

Question 1 of 10Choosing for a property

Why are raincoats made of plastic rather than cotton?

Question 2 of 10Reading a property table

Table of Flexible, Waterproof, Transparent for P, Q, R, S
Material	Flexible	Waterproof	Transparent
P	✓	✓	✗
Q	✗	✓	✓
R	✓	✗	✗
S	✗	✗	✓

✓ means the material has the property.

Which material shown in the table is best for making a window that must not break when it is bent?

Question 3 of 10Matching property to job

A cooking pot handle is made of wood. Which properties make wood a good choice for the handle?

A: It does not let heat through easily.
B: It is strong enough to hold the pot.
C: It is transparent.

Question 4 of 10Testing a property

Three squares of the same size were left in water for ten minutes.

The set-ups above are testing which property of the three materials?

Question 5 of 10Same material, different objects

A window pane, a drinking glass and a light bulb are all made mainly of glass. What property do all three need?

Question 6 of 10When a property is a problem

Why would a metal spoon be a poor choice for stirring hot soup for a long time?

Question 7 of 10One object, several materials

An umbrella has a plastic sheet, a metal frame and a wooden handle. Which statements explain these choices?

A: The sheet is plastic because plastic is waterproof.
B: The frame is metal because metal is strong.
C: The handle is wood because wood is transparent.
D: The handle is wood because wood is easy to grip.

Question 8 of 10Naming a property

A sponge is used to wipe up spilt milk because it takes the milk in.What property of the sponge does this describe?

Question 9 of 10Naming a property

A rubber band can be pulled into a long shape and then go back to how it was.What property does this describe?

Question 10 of 10Fair comparison

Table of Water soaked up (ml) for J, K, L, M
Cloth	Water soaked up (ml)
J	12
K	3
L	18
M	7

Four cloths of the same size were each dipped in water for one minute.

Based on the table, which cloth would be best for drying a wet floor?

Answers and explanations for all 10 questions

Every answer with the reasoning behind it. Worth reading after you have tried the set — or on its own, if you are a parent marking it.

Why are raincoats made of plastic rather than cotton?
Answer: Plastic is waterproof.
A raincoat has one job: keeping water off you. Plastic is waterproof, so the water runs off instead of soaking in.
Which material shown in the table is best for making a window that must not break when it is bent?
Answer: Q
A window has to be transparent, and one in an outside wall has to be waterproof. Q is the only material that is both.
A cooking pot handle is made of wood. Which properties make wood a good choice for the handle?
Answer: A and B only
A handle has to stay cool enough to hold and strong enough to lift the pot. Wood does both. Being transparent has nothing to do with the job.
The set-ups above are testing which property of the three materials?
Answer: whether they absorb water
Each square is left in the same amount of water for the same time, so what changes between them is how much water each takes in — that is, whether they absorb water.
A window pane, a drinking glass and a light bulb are all made mainly of glass. What property do all three need?
Answer: letting light through
You look through a window, you see the drink through the glass, and the bulb has to let its light out. All three depend on glass letting light through.
Why would a metal spoon be a poor choice for stirring hot soup for a long time?
Answer: Metal lets heat through, so the handle becomes too hot to hold.
Metal lets heat through easily. That is useful in a pot, where the heat has to reach the food, but it is a problem in a handle you are holding.
An umbrella has a plastic sheet, a metal frame and a wooden handle. Which statements explain these choices?
Answer: A, B and D only
Each part of an umbrella is made of the material that suits its job: waterproof plastic to keep rain off, a strong metal frame to hold the shape, and a wooden handle that is easy to grip.
A sponge is used to wipe up spilt milk because it takes the milk in. What property of the sponge does this describe?
Answer: absorbent
A material that takes liquid in is absorbent.
A rubber band can be pulled into a long shape and then go back to how it was. What property does this describe?
Answer: elastic
A material that stretches and then returns to its shape is elastic.
Based on the table, which cloth would be best for drying a wet floor?
Answer: L
Drying a floor needs the cloth that takes up the most water. L soaks up 18 ml, more than any of the others.