Particles in Solids, Liquids and Gases, Read and Compare

Leave a wet paper towel in the sun and one in the shade and check which dries first. Spray a little perfume in one corner of a room and time how long it takes to smell it across the room. Then read the matching page.

Read about an ice cube, orange juice and balloon air, then chart how each one's particles pack and move. A particle is a bit of matter too tiny to see, even with a hand lens. The directions on the page read: Read the passage. Then, turn the page and fill in the compare chart. On page 2: Fill in boxes 1 to 9 of the compare chart with words from the passage. Then, circle the letter of the best answer for question 10 and write the answers to questions 11 and 12 on the lines. The answer key covers the questions on page 2.

Yes, both. We made it for 5th Grade matter, and the page works the same whether it lands on a kitchen table or a center rotation. At home, most families go through it together and talk the answers out loud, and that talking is where most of the learning happens with particles of matter. In class it runs well as independent work while you pull a small group. Print one copy or thirty, whichever the day needs.

A particle is a bit of matter far too tiny to see, even with a hand lens. All matter is built from particles, and the way they are packed decides whether something is a solid, a liquid or a gas.

In a solid, particles are packed tightly and only wiggle in place, so it keeps its shape. In a liquid they are close but slide past each other, so it flows. In a gas they are far apart and zoom in all directions, so it fills its container.

The fastest water particles at the top break away and fly into the air as water vapor, an invisible gas. Sun warms the water so more particles escape, and wind carries the vapor away. The water is not gone, it is spread through the air.

Yes. All five particles of matter sheets have an answer key, with sample answers for the questions children answer in their own words.

5 printable worksheets, all free to preview. Downloads are included with a ClassWeekly free trial, and every page prints on standard 8.5 x 11 paper.

These are written for 5th Grade students, roughly ages 10-11. Many teachers also use them a grade up for review or a grade down as an extension, so use the preview to judge the fit for a particular child.

Yes. Each one shows the NGSS code it covers on its own page, so you can check the alignment yourself rather than taking our word for it.