A student places a copper wire into a test circuit with a battery and a small bulb. The bulb lights. She repeats the test with a plastic straw and the bulb stays dark. What property is she testing?

Two shiny gray squares look exactly alike. A magnet pulls on square A but not on square B. What does this test show?

A metal spoon and a wooden spoon stand in the same mug of hot water. After two minutes the metal handle feels hot and the wooden handle still feels cool. What does this show?

A shallow tray holds a mixture of dark iron filings and pale sand. A student slowly moves a magnet just above the tray without touching the mixture. What will be lifted away?

An engineer is choosing a material for the handle of a metal cooking pot. The handle must stay cool enough to hold while the pot is hot on the stove. Which material best meets that need?

The wire inside a lamp cord must carry electric current, and the covering around it must not. Which pairing of materials suits that job?

A class tested three samples. Sample 1: a magnet pulled it and the bulb lit. Sample 2: no magnet pull, bulb lit. Sample 3: no magnet pull, bulb stayed dark. Which sample is most likely a steel nail?

A sample is not pulled by a magnet, but it makes the bulb light in a test circuit. Is the sample more likely aluminum or wood?

Rosa claims her gray sample is aluminum and not steel. Which observation best supports her claim?

A class compares how well three rods of different metals carry heat. Each rod stands in a cup of hot water. What must be kept the same for the test to be fair?

A recycling center must separate steel cans from aluminum cans as they ride along a moving belt. Which difference in properties makes this possible?

A paper clip sits on a table under a thin sheet of paper. When a magnet is slid across the top of the paper, the clip moves along with it. What does this show?

A camping mug must keep a hot drink warm and stay safe to hold. Should the outer layer be plastic foam or thin metal?

The bottom of a frying pan should heat food quickly once the burner is on. Which material best suits that job?

A student needs one object that is both shiny and attracted to a magnet. On the desk are a shiny aluminum strip, a shiny steel washer, and a shiny plastic button. Which object fits both requirements?

A group says any material a magnet pulls must also let electric current pass. A copper wire lights the bulb in a test circuit, yet a magnet does not pull on it. What does this evidence show?

Rubber is used to cover electric wires because rubber carries electric current easily.

Glass is a good conductor of electric current.

A magnet can be used to pull steel paper clips out of a bowl of dry rice.

Every shiny material is attracted to a magnet.