Fifth Grade Physical Science
Physical Science is the study of all of the matter, forces and energy that make up our world. In this unit we will be learning the what, how, and why of phenomenon that we interact with daily.
ELEMENTS AND THE PERIODIC TABLE
Just as letters are the building blocks of all of the words that we use everyday, elements are the building blocks of all of the "stuff" around us. The same letters can be used to make many different words and the same elements can be arranged in different ways to make many different materials. Below are some links to help you explore this further.
Meet the Elements by They Might Be Giants
Element Song by Tom Lehrer
The New Periodic Table
Periodic Table with Pictures
Build and Identify Atoms of Elements
Identify Elements, Compounds, and Mixture
ELEMENTS AND THE PERIODIC TABLE
Just as letters are the building blocks of all of the words that we use everyday, elements are the building blocks of all of the "stuff" around us. The same letters can be used to make many different words and the same elements can be arranged in different ways to make many different materials. Below are some links to help you explore this further.
Meet the Elements by They Might Be Giants
Element Song by Tom Lehrer
The New Periodic Table
Periodic Table with Pictures
Build and Identify Atoms of Elements
Identify Elements, Compounds, and Mixture
SOLIDS, LIQUIDS, AND GASSES
As substances gain in energy, the particles are able to move more and change their phase of matter. Solids have a set shape and volume, but if they gain enough energy, they can melt into a liquid which can take the shape of its container. With additional energy, they can boil into a gas. Gas particles move rapidly in all directions and take the shape and volume of their container. As a substance loses energy, it may condense from a gas into a liquid and then freeze into a solid.
Experiments with solids, liquids, and gases
Classifying solids, liquids, and gasses
COMPOUNDS AND MIXTURES
Elements can be combined in many different ways. When elements form chemical bonds with each other, compounds are formed and the new substance has a new set of properties. The chemical formula of a compound tells what how many of each type of atom is in the compound. If elements and compounds are just physically combined, a mixture is formed and the original properties of the parts of the mixture stay mostly the same (ex. sugar water is both sweet and wet.)
Compounds and Mixtures Interactive
Information and a quiz about compounds
Identify Elements, Compounds, and Mixture
Explains Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures at an Atomic Level.
Elements, Compounds, and Mixtures by the BBC
PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL CHANGES
Matter undergoes changes all around us and even in us all the time. Physical changes do not affect chemical bonds and usually only change one or two properties of the substance, but chemical changes do cause a change in chemical bonds and cause changes in many of the substances properties. Phase changes such as freezing or boiling and the mixing of substance like making lemonade are physical changes, but when elements combine to form a compound, it is a chemical change.
Physical or Chemical Change Quiz
Classifying Matter Review Jeopardy
MEASURING SPEED
We will be spending a couple of weeks learning to use metric rulers, triple beam balances, graduated cylinders, and beakers. The link below includes many helpful tutorials. After learning to measure, we will use our measurements to calculate speeds as well as solve word problems for speed, distance, and time.
Measurement tutorials
Speed problems with answers
FORCES AND MOTION
We are constantly affected by the forces in the world around us. We all know that gravity pulls us down, but did you know that all objects exert a force of gravity. As mass increases and distance decreases the force of gravity increases. The force of friction always acts in a direction opposite an object's direction of motion and is effected by the types of surface and strength of contact. Friction is generally categorized as static, sliding, rolling, or fluid. Objects with more mass also have more inertia and resist a change in their motion meaning that they need more force to cause a change. Finally, don't forget that for every force there is and equal and opposite force (which is why it hurts so bad if you kick a bowling ball).
Gravity and Air Resistance Virtual Lab
Energy
The Law of Conservation of Energy says that energy is never created or destroyed. It is merely transformed into different types and transferred among different substances. We get energy from the food we eat. If we eat plants, they will have gotten their energy from the sun.