Drawing Particle Diagrams · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

Drawing particle diagrams

Science · Matter & Materials · ages 7-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________

  1. Which particle diagram shows a gas?

    • Dots packed tight in rows, not moving
    • Dots close together, sliding past each other
    • Dots far apart, moving in all directions

  2. In a particle diagram of a solid, how are the dots arranged?

    • Spread far apart
    • Close in neat rows
    • Close together but jumbled

  3. In a liquid, particles are arranged in neat, fixed rows like a solid.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Tom's ice cube melts into water. What happens to the particles?

    • They lose energy and stop moving completely
    • They disappear and new particles appear
    • They gain energy, move faster, and slide apart from their fixed spots

  5. Why does a solid keep a fixed shape but a liquid does not?

    • Solid particles are see-through; liquid particles are not
    • Solid particles vibrate in place; liquid particles move past each other
    • Solid particles are bigger than liquid particles

  6. Which state of matter is easiest to squash into a smaller space?

    • Gas, big gaps between particles
    • Solid, because its particles are tightly packed
    • Liquid, because its particles are always moving

  7. Water vapor (a gas) cools down and turns into liquid water. What happens to the particles' energy and movement?

    • They gain energy and spread further apart
    • Nothing changes; only the color changes
    • They lose energy, slow down, and move closer together

  8. Mia draws a liquid as dots spread very far apart, zooming in all directions. What mistake did she make?

    • She forgot to label the dots
    • She drew a gas, not a liquid
    • She drew too many dots
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

Drawing particle diagrams W1-mt_htAYR-iCFF-s1

  1. Dots far apart, moving in all directions · Gas particles are spread widely apart and zoom around in every direction.
  2. Close in neat rows · Solid particles pack close together in a regular pattern and only vibrate on the spot.
  3. False · Liquid particles are close together but arranged randomly, not in neat rows, so they can flow.
  4. They gain energy, move faster, and slide apart from their fixed spots · Melting happens when particles gain energy from heat. They vibrate more until they break free of their fixed spots and start sliding past each other.
  5. Solid particles vibrate in place; liquid particles move past each other · Since solid particles only vibrate in their fixed spots, the solid holds its shape. Liquid particles can slide around, so a liquid flows and takes the shape of its container.
  6. Gas, big gaps between particles · Gas particles have huge gaps between them, so it is easy to push them closer together. Solids and liquids have almost no gaps to squeeze.
  7. They lose energy, slow down, and move closer together · Cooling takes energy away from particles, so they slow down and pack closer together, turning the gas into a liquid.
  8. She drew a gas, not a liquid · Widely spaced, fast-moving dots show a gas. A liquid's dots should be close together but jumbled and flowing past each other.
Worksheet · LightMySky