Grade 5 Standards

Physical Sciences
1. Elements and their combinations account for all the varied types of matter in the
world. As a basis for understanding this concept:

a. Students know that during chemical reactions the atoms in the reactants rearrange
to form products with different properties.

b. Students know all matter is made of atoms, which may combine to form molecules.

c. Students know metals have properties in common, such as high electrical and
thermal conductivity. Some metals, such as aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), nickel (Ni),
copper (Cu), silver (Ag), and gold (Au), are pure elements; others, such as steel
and brass, are composed of a combination of elemental metals.

d. Students know that each element is made of one kind of atom and that the elements
are organized in the periodic table by their chemical properties.

e. Students know scientists have developed instruments that can create discrete
images of atoms and molecules that show that the atoms and molecules often
occur in well-ordered arrays.

f. Students know differences in chemical and physical properties of substances are
used to separate mixtures and identify compounds.

g. Students know properties of solid, liquid, and gaseous substances, such as sugar
(C6H12O6), water (H2O), helium (He), oxygen (O2), nitrogen (N2), and carbon
dioxide (CO2).

h. Students know living organisms and most materials are composed of just a few
elements.
i. Students know the common properties of salts, such as sodium chloride (NaCl).