Purposes of Materials
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2nd Grade Science › Purposes of Materials
Blair and her class build two bridges as a competition. The goal was to get the most cars across before the bridge collapsed. They have to choose the best design to improve on and send to the science fair.
Based on the data table, which bridge should they select and why?
Bridge A; it looked the coolest out of the two bridges and the class got to eat popsicles to make it
Bridge A; it held the most cars, wobbled but did not fall
Bridge B; it held three cars before it fell and that is pretty good
Bridge B; the class got to chew gum to make this bridge so they should pick it
Explanation
When building a bridge in real-life, there is a massive amount of planning and testing done to ensure it is safe and sturdy. This class had good plans and materials for building both bridges, but "Bridge A" seems like the most reliable choice for the science fair entry. It was able to hold up six toy cars and did not fall. It did wobble some so the class can make improvements on that portion of the bridge. "Bridge B" collapsed after the weight of three toy cars, so it doesn't seem like the most sturdy bridge.
Based on the data provided, which material should Ash use to build his shelf?
Material 1
Material 2
Material 3
None of these materials
Explanation
This data table provides information to analyze different materials. In the case of Myles, "Material 2" is weak and soft, which does not make an excellent material for a shelf. He would want to pick a material that is hard and would support the weight of items displayed. This leaves "Materials 1 and 3" for consideration. "Material 1" is flexible, which could be a poor quality for a shelf. "Material 3" is strong, hard, and not flexible; it would be the best material for a shelf.
Jessa mixed sand and paperclips. She wants to remove the paperclips without touching them. Her teacher gives her the choice of three different tools to use. Which tool is best suited for removing paperclips without touching them?
Tweezers
Bar Magnet
Sifter
None of these tools would work
Explanation
Different materials have specific purposes and are best suited for certain tasks. Jessa has to remove small, metal paperclips without touching them. The size and color of the tool do not matter in this case, and they do not affect Jessa's decision. The bar magnet is magnetic, so it should pick up the paperclip when it is moved close to it. Magnets do not need to touch other objects to affect them if they have magnetic qualities. This would be the tool most suited to her task.
Grace wants to see which object she should NOT choose to clean up a spill. Based on the absorbency (ability to soak up something) property of each item, which item would be the worst to select?
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
There is no way to tell which item she should not use.
Explanation
Different materials have specific purposes and are best suited for certain tasks. In this case, "Item 1" is not absorbent at all, and Grace is trying to clean up a spill. This item would NOT be the best choice to clean up a liquid. If Grace wants to clean it up quickly, "Item 3" would be her best choice instead!
Grace wants to see which object she should NOT choose to clean up a spill. Based on the absorbency (ability to soak up something) property of each item, which item would be the worst to select?
Item 1
Item 2
Item 3
There is no way to tell which item she should not use.
Explanation
Different materials have specific purposes and are best suited for certain tasks. In this case, "Item 1" is not absorbent at all, and Grace is trying to clean up a spill. This item would NOT be the best choice to clean up a liquid. If Grace wants to clean it up quickly, "Item 3" would be her best choice instead!
Based on the data provided, which material should Ash use to build his shelf?
Material 1
Material 2
Material 3
None of these materials
Explanation
This data table provides information to analyze different materials. In the case of Myles, "Material 2" is weak and soft, which does not make an excellent material for a shelf. He would want to pick a material that is hard and would support the weight of items displayed. This leaves "Materials 1 and 3" for consideration. "Material 1" is flexible, which could be a poor quality for a shelf. "Material 3" is strong, hard, and not flexible; it would be the best material for a shelf.
Blair and her class build two bridges as a competition. The goal was to get the most cars across before the bridge collapsed. They have to choose the best design to improve on and send to the science fair.
Based on the data table, which bridge should they select and why?
Bridge A; it looked the coolest out of the two bridges and the class got to eat popsicles to make it
Bridge A; it held the most cars, wobbled but did not fall
Bridge B; it held three cars before it fell and that is pretty good
Bridge B; the class got to chew gum to make this bridge so they should pick it
Explanation
When building a bridge in real-life, there is a massive amount of planning and testing done to ensure it is safe and sturdy. This class had good plans and materials for building both bridges, but "Bridge A" seems like the most reliable choice for the science fair entry. It was able to hold up six toy cars and did not fall. It did wobble some so the class can make improvements on that portion of the bridge. "Bridge B" collapsed after the weight of three toy cars, so it doesn't seem like the most sturdy bridge.
Jessa mixed sand and paperclips. She wants to remove the paperclips without touching them. Her teacher gives her the choice of three different tools to use. Which tool is best suited for removing paperclips without touching them?
Tweezers
Bar Magnet
Sifter
None of these tools would work
Explanation
Different materials have specific purposes and are best suited for certain tasks. Jessa has to remove small, metal paperclips without touching them. The size and color of the tool do not matter in this case, and they do not affect Jessa's decision. The bar magnet is magnetic, so it should pick up the paperclip when it is moved close to it. Magnets do not need to touch other objects to affect them if they have magnetic qualities. This would be the tool most suited to her task.
Micah's class tested two bridge models to see which materials would build the strongest structure. They noticed that "Bridge B" collapsed under the weight of the toy cars and they want to improve it.
Which set of materials would be the best choice to replace what they used?
Building blocks, super glue, masking tape, and paint
Sticks, twine, sticky putty, and notebook paper
Plastic forks, hot glue, wax, and coins
Jellybeans, water, glue, and strips of cloth
Explanation
"Bridge B" did well until a fourth car was added, so there may have been a failure in the materials somewhere. None of the objects they initially chose are very strong or sturdy, and if the gum were freshly chewed, it would be wet, and things could slide. By choosing building blocks that stack neatly and fit together well, very strong super glue, masking tape to wrap around the blocks, and paint for decoration, they may create a much stronger structure. Construction paper and tape are good for arts and crafts but may not be the best materials suited for bridge-building.
Angelica mixed dirt and rocks in a large tray. She has to separate the stones from the soil in one minute. Her teacher gives her the choice of three different tools to use. Which tool is best suited for separating the dirt and rocks quickly?
Bar Magnet
Tweezers
Sifter
None of the tools will work
Explanation
Different materials have specific purposes and are best suited for certain tasks. Angelica has to separate rocks from dirt in one minute. The size and color of the tool do not matter in this case, and they do not affect Angelica's decision. The sifter would be the best tool to use to get the job done quickly. She can scoop up the dirt and rocks into the sifter and shake it, so the dirt falls out, and the stones remain. She can repeat this until her one-minute timer is complete.