Grade 5 Science Test-- Test A
Multiple Choice
Identify the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1. The following diagram shows two circuits with batteries and lightbulbs.
Which answer best explains this picture?
____
a. They are parallel circuits with electricity c. They are series circuits with electricity
flowing along one pathway.
flowing along one pathway.
b. They are parallel circuits with electricity d. They are series circuits with electricity
flowing along more than one pathway.
flowing along more than one pathway.
2. What type of material would make the best compass needle?
____
a. iron
c. silver
b. copper
d. gold
3. The following is a diagram of a simple electromagnet.
How could this electromagnet be made stronger?
____
a. Remove all the coils and the nail.
b. Use a smaller battery.
4. Which of these contain(s) an electromagnet?
a. Lamp
b. Compass
c. Add more coils of wire to the nail.
d. Reverse the poles of the magnet.
c. Electric stove
d. Headphones
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5. The following diagram shows three charged balloons hanging form a ceiling.
Which of these statements could be true about the charges of the balloons?
____
a. A is positively charged and both B and C c. Both A and B are positively charged and
are negatively charged.
C is negatively charged.
b. A and C are positively charged and B is
d. A, B, and C are all negatively charged.
neutral.
6. The following diagram shows two bar magnets.
What will most likely happen to the magnets?
a. The north pole of one magnet will repel
the south pole of the other magnet.
____
c. The south pole of one magnet will be
attracted to the south pole of the other
magnet.
b. The north pole of one magnet will repel
d. The north pole of one magnet will be
the north pole of the other magnet.
attracted to the north pole of the other
magnet.
7. Which of these converts electrical energy into motion energy?
____
a. A stove.
c. A lightbulb.
b. A fan.
d. A television.
8. What happens to matter during a chemical change?
____
a. The atoms rearrange themselves into new c. The atoms rearrange themselves and some
combinations.
disappear.
b. Some atoms may melt or evaporate.
d. Some atoms may turn into a powder.
9. Which best describes an atom?
a. the smallest living unit of an organism.
c. the smallest particle of an element that has
the same properties as that element.
b. a large substance composed of elements. d. a mixture of elements
____ 10. Which of these substances is a good conductor of heat and electricity?
a. iodine
b. iron
c. sulfur
d. hydrogen
____ 11. Which two elements have similar chemical properties?
a. mercury and lead
c. hydrogen and potassium
b. aluminum and silver
d. sulfur and chlorine
____ 12. Scientists use electron microscopes to do which of the following:
a. look at atoms
c. combine atoms
b. melt atoms
d. create new atoms
____ 13. A student uses a magnet to separate iron filings from a pile of sand. Which statement tells why she was able
to do this?
a. The chemical properties of iron are
c.
different from those of the sand.
b. The iron and the sand were not well mixed d.
together when she started.
____ 14. Look at this picture of a sugar and water mixture.
The physical properties of iron are
different from those of the sand.
The particles of sand are attracted to the
magnet.
A student uses a hot plate to separate a mixture of water and sugar. Which physical property allowed this to
occur?
a. Water’s crystal-like structure.
c. Sugar’s ability to evaporate.
b. Water’s ability to evaporate.
d. Sugar’s crystal-like structure.
____ 15. The following diagram shows the particles of an unknown substance.
This substance is more than likely a:
a. solid
b. liquid
c. gas
d. solution
____ 16. Which is a property of water when it is in a solid state?
a. It has definite shape, and its volume
c. It has definite shape, and its volume does
changes
not change.
b. It does not have definite shape, and its
d. It does not have its own shape, and its
volume changes.
volume does not change.
____ 17. Which of the following lists contains elements that are found in all living things?
a. carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen
b. oxygen, silicon, aluminum, iron
____ 18. When salt is dissolved in water, it can:
c. carbon, oxygen, aluminum, iron
d. silicon, iron, hydrogen, nitrogen
a. turn blue
c. cause a chemical reaction
b. conduct electricity
d. increase the freezing point of the water
____ 19. Which of these is the primary source of energy for all living things?
a. water
c. oxygen
b. sun
d. carbon dioxide
____ 20. In an ecosystem, lions eat antelope. What would happen if cheetahs, who also eat antelope, were introduced
into the same ecosystem?
a. the lions and the cheetahs would eat each c. the lions would leave
other.
b. the lions and the cheetahs would compete d. the cheetahs would find something else to
for food.
eat.
____ 21. This diagram shows a marine food web.
Which best describes the role of the pelican in this food web?
a. producer
b. decomposer
c. herbivore
d. carnivore
____ 22. The picture below shows fungi and microorganisms on a dead log.
How do these microorganisms and fungi get the energy they need to survive?
a. by breaking down the dead log
c. by carrying out photosynthesis
b. by eating small animals
d. by eating other microorganisms
____ 23. Which of the following is a living component of a marine ecosystem?’
a. salt concentration
c. gray whale
b. sunlight
d. scorpion
____ 24. Which is an adaptation of an animal that lives in the desert?
a. It hunts for food in the dark, when it is
c. It may form a symbiotic relationship with
cooler.
algae.
b. It may spend its entire life in the canopy. d. It lives in coral reefs.
____ 25. The following are pictures of leaves found on different plants.
Which of the these plants would be found in an ecosystem with heavy snowfall?
a. Plant A
b. Plant B
c. Plant C
d. Plant D
____ 26. For which of the following do many plants depend on animals?
a. food
c. photosynthesis
b. shelter
d. seed dispersal
____ 27. Which of the following best explains the way humans and microorganisms interact?
a. all microorganisms are helpful to humans. c. many microorganisms are helpful to
humans, and a few are harmful.
b. all microorganisms are harmful to
d. many microorganisms are harmful to
humans.
humans, and a few are helpful.
____ 28. Which of the following best describes a way in which plants and animals are alike?
a. They both use the energy from sunlight to c. They both have a skeletal system to
produce their own food.
support their bodies.
b. They both have specialized structures for d. They both give off oxygen as a waste
transporting food and wastes.
product.
____ 29. Where does oxygen-rich blood go after leaving the lungs?
a. the heart
c. the lungs
b. the brain
d. the stomach
____ 30. Which organ is responsible for the exchange of carbon dioxide and oxygen in the human body?
a. lungs
c. kidneys
b. heart
d. stomach
____ 31. Where does digestion begin in the human body?
a. mouth
c. kidneys
b. stomach
d. esophagus
____ 32. The following is a diagram of the human digestive system.
Which number shows where food mixes with acids to help break it down into parts that can be absorbed?
a. 1
b. 2
c. 3
d. 4
____ 33. What is the function of the kidneys?
a. Removes waste from the blood
c. Breaks food down into nutrients
b. Stores urine
d. Transports oxygen to cells in the body.
____ 34. Which structure in a plant is responsible for transporting water and minerals from the roots to the leaves?
a. xylem
c. arteries
b. phloem
d. bark
____ 35. Which gas do plants use during the process of photosynthesis?
a. oxygen
c. hydrogen
b. carbon dioxide
d. water
____ 36. What is used to break down glucose in order to produce energy during cellular respiration?
a. sunlight
b. water
____ 37. The following is a picture of a rock.
c. carbon dioxide
d. oxygen
This rock was formed under extreme heat and pressure deep within the earth. This rock is PROBABLY a/an:
a. igneous rock
c. metamorphic rock
b. sedimentary rock
d. fossil rock
____ 38. A student has found a mineral that is nonmetallic and white. It can also scratch feldspar. According to the
mineral information sheet, the unidentified mineral is most likely
a. calcite.
c. galena.
b. talc.
d. quartz.
____ 39. Which of the following best describes how the Hawaiian islands were formed?
a. the motion of the waves in the middle of
the Pacific Ocean
b. repeated volcanic eruptions in the middle
of the Pacific Ocean.
c. repeated earthquakes in the middle of the
Pacific Ocean
d. repeated landslides in the middle of the
Pacific Ocean.
____ 40. The following picture shows a rock formation in the desert.
Which of the following probably shaped this rock?
a. ocean tides
c. fast-moving water
b. moving air and sand
d. an earthquake
____ 41. When water accumulates in the cracks of a rock, which best explains how this can cause the rock to break
apart?
a. water is attracted to rocks.
c. water repeatedly freezes and expands.
b. microorganisms in the water will feed on d. the water chemically breaks down the
the minerals in the rock.
rock.
____ 42. Which list gives the correct order for the formation of a delta?
a. weathering, deposition, transport
c. deposition, transport, weathering
b. transport, weathering, deposition
d. weathering, transport, deposition
____ 43. The following diagram shows the Grand Canyon.
Which of the following is most responsible for its formation?
a. water
b. wind
____ 44. Where is most of Earth’s water found?
a. lakes
b. rivers
c. ice
d. sun
c. glaciers
d. oceans
____ 45. During which process in the water cycle are clouds formed?
a. evaporation
c. precipitation
b. condensation
d. runoff
____ 46. Which of the following describes the process that happens when water droplets in clouds become large and
heavy?
a. evaporation
c. precipitation
b. condensation
d. runoff
____ 47. Which is an example of a way you can conserve water?
a. Watering your plants in mid-afternoon.
c. Using a hose to spray off your driveway.
b. Turn off the faucet when brushing your
d. Taking a 20 minute shower.
teeth.
____ 48. The following picture shows where the sea and land meet.
In which direction is the wind most likely blowing in this picture?
a. from the land to the sea.
c. from the sea to the land.
b. down onto the water’s surface
d. up from the surface of the land.
____ 49. San Francisco is located on the coast of California, while Sacramento is located further inland. How are
summer temperatures going to compare in these two cities?
a. San Francisco will be cooler because it’s c. Temperatures in San Francisco and
closer to the water.
Sacramento will be about the same.
b. San Francisco will be warmer because it’s d. San Francisco will probably be warmer
closer to the water.
because water heats up more quickly than
land does.
____ 50. Which of the following could cause a hurricane to increase its strength?
a. movement away from the equator.
b. movement over warm, tropical water.
c. movement over a large piece of land.
d. movement over cold Arctic waters.
____ 51. The following diagram shows a weather map with weather symbols.
What type of weather is the area labeled A likely to have in the next few days?
a. light precipitation with warm
c. light precipitation with cold temperatures.
temperatures.
b. heavy precipitation with warm
d. heavy precipitation with cold
temperatures.
temperatures.
____ 52. A student from Victorville decides to go mountain climbing. How does the air pressure change as she climbs
to the top of the mountain?
a. air pressure decreases.
c. air particles are squeezed closer together.
b. more air from above pushes down on her. d. air pressure increases.
____ 53. The sun is made mostly of which gases?
a. oxygen and helium
c. hydrogen and oxygen
b. hydrogen and helium
d. hydrogen and nitrogen
____ 54. Which of the following are the smallest objects in our solar system?
a. moons
c. planets
b. comets
d. stars
____ 55. The moon maintains its orbit around the earth as a result of
a. gravitational attraction
b. magnetic attraction
c. solar attraction
d. molecular attraction
____ 56. The following is a chart of the average monthly rainfall for Sewanee, TN.
Between which months did Sewanee experience the greatest increase in rainfall?
a. January to February
c. March to April
b. February to March
d. April to May
____ 57. Paloma conducts an experiment using sunflowers, soil, and water. She plants five sunflowers in the same
type of soil and places them on her table. She carefully measures different amounts of water to give to each
sunflower each day. She measures the height of the sunflowers once a week. Which of these is the indepdent
variable?
a. soil
b. flower height
c. water
d. sunflower
____ 58. The following chart shows the results of an experiment designed to study which brand of bubble gum blows
the biggest bubbles.
Maria’s Bubble Gum Experiment
Hubba Bubba
Bubble Gum
Bazooka
Bubble Gum
Bubble Yum Bubble
Gum
Maria
36 mm
68 mm
19 mm
Kelly
44 mm
75 mm
21 mm
Robert
25 mm
57 mm
13 mm
Which statement is the best conclusion for this experiment?
a. Hubba Bubba blows bubbles twice as big
as Bubble Yum.
b. Bazooka blows bigger bubbles than any
other tested brand.
c. Hubba Bubba and Bazooka blow the same
size bubbles.
d. Bubble Yum blows bigger bubbles than
Bazooka.
____ 59. Kelsey measured a leaf with a ruler, as shown below.
What is the length of the leaf?
a. 10 cm
b. 12 cm
c. 14 cm
d. 2 cm
____ 60. Antonio was given the following instructions to help him conduct an experiment on volume.
VOLUME EXPERIMENT
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Place the graduated cylinder on a flat, level surface.
Fill the graduated cylinder to 15 mL.
Place the object to be measured into the graduated cylinder.
Observe the new water level.
Subtract 15 mL from the new water level.
Record your result in your science journal.
What should Antonio do before he places the object in the graduated cylinder?
a. Weigh the object to be measured.
b. Observe the new water level.
c. Fill the graduated cylinder to 15 mL.
d. Empty the graduated cylinder.
Grade 5 Science Test-- Test A
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
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PS 4.1.a
PS 4.1.b
PS 4.1.c
PS 4.1.d
PS 4.1.e
PS 4.1.f
PS 4.1.g
PS 5.1.a
PS 5.1.b
PS 5.1.c
PS 5.1.d
PS 5.1.e
PS 5.1.e
PS 5.1.e
PS 5.1.g
PS 5.1.g
PS 5.1.h
PS 5.1.i
LS 4.2.a
LS 4.2.b
LS 4.2.b
LS 4.2.d
LS 4.3.a
LS 4.3.b
LS 4.3.b
LS 4.3.c
LS 4.3.d
LS 5.2.a
LS 5.2.b
LS 5.2.b
LS 5.2.c
LS 5.2.c
LS 5.2.d
LS 5.2.e
LS 5.2.f
LS 5.2.g
ES 4.4.a
ES 4.4.b
ES 4.5.a
ES 4.5.a
ES 4.5.b
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ES 4.5.c
ES 4.5.c
ES 5.3.a
ES 5.3.b
ES 5.3.c
ES 5.3.d
ES 5.4.a
ES 5.4.b
ES 5.4.c
ES 5.4.d
ES 5.4.e
ES 5.5.a
ES 5.5.b
ES 5.5.c
IE 5.6.g
IE 5.6.d
IE 5.6.h
IE 4.6.b
IE 4.6.f