Classifying Materials
Plan and conduct an investigation to classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties
What a learner can do afterwards
- Design a simple test to compare one property across several materials
- Record observations in a table or chart during the investigation
- Classify the tested materials into groups based on the results
1 · Read
You already know how to sort materials into groups. Now you will learn how to test them first. A test helps you find out a fact about a material, like whether it floats or sinks, before you sort it. Keep the way you test the same each time, so the test is fair.
Mia wants to know which objects float. She drops five objects into a bucket of water, one at a time, and watches what happens. She uses the same bucket and the same amount of water for every object, so the test is fair.
Write down each result while you test, not after. If you wait until the end, you might forget what happened to the first material.
Write each result in a table or chart while you test. When your test is done, look at your chart. Put the materials that behaved the same way into the same group.
Test each material the same way, write down what happens, then sort your results into groups.
More to read
Classifying Objects by What You Can See and Feel
Have you ever looked closely at a toy, a rock, or a spoon? Every object has its own properties, things you can see, feel, or notice about it. Some objects are hard, some are soft. Some are shiny, some are dull. Some bend easily, and some do not.
In this lesson, you get to be a scientist. You will look at different objects and think about what they are made of and how they feel. Then you will sort them into groups based on what you notice, like their shape, how bendy they are, or what material they are made from.
Sorting objects into groups by their properties is called classifying. Scientists classify things all the time to help them understand the world better. Can you group your own objects at home based on what you notice about them?
Which Material Soaks Up Water Best?
Have you ever spilled water and grabbed a paper towel to clean it up? Paper towels are good at soaking up water. But what about plastic or aluminum foil? Would they work just as well?
In this lesson, you plan your own test to find out. You compare paper, plastic, aluminum foil, and felt to see which material absorbs, or soaks up, the most water.
First, think about how to test each material fairly. You might drip the same amount of water on each one and watch what happens. Which material lets the water sit on top? Which one soaks it right up?
After your test, you record what you saw and figure out which material is best at absorbing water, and why.
Testing Paper, Plastic, and Foil
Paper, plastic, and aluminum foil are all around us, but they are not the same. Each one has its own special properties, like how bendy it is, whether it lets light through, or whether it tears easily.
In this lesson, you run a series of tests on these three materials. You might try bending each one, tearing it, or holding it up to the light. Watching closely and recording what happens helps you learn about each material's properties.
By testing and comparing, you can answer a big question: what makes paper, plastic, and aluminum foil different from each other? Testing materials this way is exactly what real scientists do when they want to learn something new.
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2 · Watch
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Where it sits
Learn first
This opens up
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.