Third Grade Study Guide

Third Grade Study Guide

Matter Test

Study this information for the test. The test will have many questions for you to answer. You will have multiple choice questions, matching definitions, and writing answers. Be sure to study everything on this study guide!

Know these words:

Matter is anything that takes up space.

Physical property is anything you can observe about an object using your senses.

Senses are smell, sight, hearing, taste, and touch.

A solid takes up a specific amount of space and has a definite shape.

A liquid has a volume that stays the same, but it can change its shape.

A gas does not have a definite shape or a definite volume.

Volume is the amount of space matter takes up.

Mass is the amount of matter in an object. All matter has mass. Air is matter.

Atoms are the building blocks of matter. Atoms form molecules.

Classifying object is a skill when you put objects in groups according to their attributes.

To infer is to use information to make a good guess about what is happening.

A mixture is a substance that contains two or more different types of matter.

Mixtures that can be physically separated include trail mix, alphabet soup, and salads.

A solution is a mixture of two or more substances that are evenly mixed. They are harder to separate, but some, like salt water, can be separated with evaporation.

Examples of solutions include sugar water, salt water, tea and sugar, water and lemon juice, and water and lemon.

Physical changes are changes to matter in which no new kinds of matter are formed.

Some physical changes include ripping paper, coloring paper, cutting paper, or water changing into ice.

Chemical changes form different kinds of matter. Rusting and burning are two common chemical changes.

Only materials containing iron, nickel, or cobalt are attracted to magnets. Earth, because of its iron core, is one huge magnet.

Three states of matter are solid, liquid, and gas.

In solids, atoms fit tightly together and do not move very much. In liquids, they slide past each other. The atoms in gases are far apart and are not connected. Gases move until something stops them.

Heat can change matter. Matter can change from a liquid to a gas or a solid to a liquid. Water (a liquid) can be heated until it becomes steam or water vapor. Water can be frozen or become a solid when the temperature is lowered.

Evaporation is the process by which a liquid becomes a gas. Liquids must be heated to turn into a gas. Condensation is the process when gas cools off and becomes a liquid. A solid cannot turn straight into a gas; it must melt first to turn into a liquid. A gas cannot turn straight into a solid. It must cool (condense) and turn into a liquid, and then freeze to turn into a solid.

A graduated cylinder is used to measure volume. A pan balance is used to measure mass. A ruler is used to measure length or width of an object.

Sample Questions

1. Which of the following is not matter?

A air

B rain

C time

D paper

2. What is a physical property of pencil?

A It is useful

B It is a school supply this year

C It is sharp

D It is round

3. If matter does not have a definite shape or volume, what state is it in?

A Solid

B Liquid

C Gas

D Physical property

4. You see a rain puddle in the morning, and by the afternoon it is gone. What has probably happened?

A A dog drank all the water.

B Evaporation

C Mixture

D Matter

5. Describe and draw a picture of the molecules in a solid, a liquid, and a gas.

6. Describe how a gas turns into a liquid?

7. What is the mass of the ball?

8. How many mililiters of liquid is in the graduated cylinder? ______

9. How many centimeters is the paper clip? ______cm

10.

Classify the words above into three groups. Describe what attributes you used to classify the items.

11. The clouds are dark during recess time. The wind is starting to blow and you hear thunder. What can you infer?