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Name: ______________________ Date: __________________
Solids, Liquids, and Gases Test
4th Grade Science
Multiple Choice - Circle the best answer. NOTE: If you do not understand something, then it
likely is not correct.
1. Which of the following is an example of a solid?
a) Milk
b) Steam
c) Rock
d) Juice
2. What happens to the particles in a liquid compared to a solid?
a) They stop moving completely
b) They move more freely but stay close together
c) They disappear
d) They become very far apart
3. Which state of matter has a definite shape and a definite volume?
a) Gas
b) Liquid
c) Plasma
d) Solid
4. When water is heated to a very high temperature, it turns into:
a) Ice
b) Sleet
c) Steam (water vapor)
d) Frost
5. What is the process called when a solid turns into a liquid?
a) Freezing
b) Evaporation
c) Condensation
d) Melting
6. Which of the following best describes a gas?
a) It has no definite shape or volume
b) It has a definite shape but no volume
c) It has a definite volume but no shape
d) It is always invisible
7. In which state of matter are particles packed most tightly together?
a) Solid
b) Liquid
c) Gas
d) All states are the same
8. What happens to water when it freezes?
a) It becomes a gas
b) It evaporates
c) It turns into a solid
d) It disappears
[Link] of the following is an example of a liquid?
a) Sand
b) Oxygen
c) Orange juice
d) Wood
[Link] is it called when a liquid changes into a gas?
a) Melting
b) Freezing
c) Condensation
d) Evaporation
11. The water cycle includes which of the following steps?
a) Freezing, boiling, and disappearing
b) Evaporation, condensation, and precipitation
c) Melting, mixing, and draining
d) Heating, cooling, and stopping
12. When gas cools down and turns into a liquid, that process is called:
a) Evaporation
b) Melting
c) Condensation
d) Freezing
13. What do all three states of matter have in common?
a) They all have a fixed shape
b) They all flow easily
c) They all have the same particle speed
d) They are all made of particles
14. Which state of matter takes the shape of its container but keeps the same volume?
a) Solid
b) Gas
c) Liquid
d) None of the above
15. When chocolate is placed in a warm pan and softens, this is an example of:
a) Melting
b) Evaporation
c) Freezing
d) Condensation
16. In the water cycle, what causes water to evaporate from oceans and lakes?
a) Wind
b) Heat from the sun
c) Gravity pulling water upward
d) Rain
17. Which of the following describes particles in a gas?
a) Tightly packed and cannot move
b) Close together and slide past each other
c) Spread far apart and move quickly in all directions
d) Locked in place but vibrating slightly
18. Ice melts at which temperature?
a) 100 degrees Celsius
b) 50 degrees Celsius
c) 0 degrees Celsius
d) 10 degrees Celsius
19. When you see water droplets on the outside of a cold glass, this is an example of:
a) Evaporation
b) Melting
c) Precipitation
d) Condensation
20. What happens to the particles of a solid when it is heated?
a) They stop vibrating
b) They disappear
c) They become heavier
d) They vibrate faster and begin to move more freely
Short Answer - Answer each question in 2 to 3 complete sentences.
21. Explain the difference between melting and freezing. Give one example of each.
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22. Describe what happens to water during the water cycle. Include at least two
steps in your answer.
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23. How are the particles in a solid different from the particles in a gas? Use what you know
about particle movement in your answer.
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24. Why is water important to the water cycle? Explain what would happen to the cycle if there
were no liquid water on Earth.
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25. Describe what happens when a material is heated. How does heating change the state of
matter, and what is one real-life example?
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