Conservation of Mass
CONCEPTUALMeasure and provide evidence that the total weight of matter is conserved regardless of the type of change (heating, cooling, or mixing)
Mastery Evidence
- State the principle that matter is neither created nor destroyed during physical or chemical changes
- Describe an investigation weighing materials before and after a change to show mass is conserved
- Explain why dissolved sugar still contributes to the total weight even though it can't be seen
Assessment Prompt
“If [child] dissolves sugar in water, can they explain why the total weight of the water and sugar stays the same even though the sugar seems to disappear?”
Curriculum Standards1 alignment
5-PS1-2Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) K-5codes onlyPrerequisites3
- Irreversible ChangeshardAges 9—11
- Reversible ChangeshardAges 9—10
- Matter Is Made of ParticlessoftAges 10—11
Show full prerequisite tree
- Irreversible Changes hard
Must understand irreversible changes before proving mass is conserved in all types of change
- Reversible Changes hard
Must understand reversible changes before contrasting with irreversible ones
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary soft
Describing dissolving and changes of state as reversible requires the vocabulary from the process terms node
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Understanding dissolving and solutions requires 'dissolve', 'solution', 'soluble', 'insoluble' from the process vocabulary node
- Advanced Material Properties hard
Must understand solubility as a property before learning dissolving and recovery in detail
- Testing Materials for Uses soft
Within GB sequence, testing advanced properties supports justifying material choices; US teaches material uses earlier without this prerequisite
- Material Properties Vocabulary soft
Giving evidence-based reasons for material uses draws on conductor, insulator, and other property vocabulary
- Material Properties Vocabulary hard
Grouping materials by hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity, and magnetic response requires all these property terms
- Choosing the Right Material hard
Must understand material suitability before testing advanced properties like conductivity and solubility
- Material Properties Vocabulary soft
Comparing suitability of materials for uses requires property vocabulary to articulate why one material is better than another
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before evaluating suitability for purposes
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Solids, Liquids & Gases soft
Understanding states of matter supports testing properties like solubility
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Evaporation & the Water Cycle soft
Evaporation knowledge supports understanding recovery of dissolved substances
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Identifying the role of evaporation and condensation requires knowing these process terms precisely
- Shapes of land and water hard
Must know land and water features before learning where water is found on Earth
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Understanding state changes supports knowing water as solid (ice) and liquid
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Water cycle benefits from curriculum states of matter (heating/cooling changes state)
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Temperature & Thermometers soft
Water cycle evaporation relates to temperature (heat drives evaporation)
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must understand state changes before learning about evaporation/condensation in water cycle
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Reversible Changes hard
Must understand reversible changes before investigating conservation of mass during changes
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary soft
Describing dissolving and changes of state as reversible requires the vocabulary from the process terms node
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Understanding dissolving and solutions requires 'dissolve', 'solution', 'soluble', 'insoluble' from the process vocabulary node
- Advanced Material Properties hard
Must understand solubility as a property before learning dissolving and recovery in detail
- Testing Materials for Uses soft
Within GB sequence, testing advanced properties supports justifying material choices; US teaches material uses earlier without this prerequisite
- Material Properties Vocabulary soft
Giving evidence-based reasons for material uses draws on conductor, insulator, and other property vocabulary
- Material Properties Vocabulary hard
Grouping materials by hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity, and magnetic response requires all these property terms
- Choosing the Right Material hard
Must understand material suitability before testing advanced properties like conductivity and solubility
- Material Properties Vocabulary soft
Comparing suitability of materials for uses requires property vocabulary to articulate why one material is better than another
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before evaluating suitability for purposes
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Solids, Liquids & Gases soft
Understanding states of matter supports testing properties like solubility
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Evaporation & the Water Cycle soft
Evaporation knowledge supports understanding recovery of dissolved substances
- Changes & Separation Vocabulary hard
Identifying the role of evaporation and condensation requires knowing these process terms precisely
- Shapes of land and water hard
Must know land and water features before learning where water is found on Earth
- Days, Weeks, Months & Years soft
Observing and describing seasonal changes requires basic date and time vocabulary (months, seasons, year)
- Ordering Events in Time hard
Understanding days/months/years builds on sequencing events chronologically
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Understanding state changes supports knowing water as solid (ice) and liquid
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Heating & Cooling Changes soft
Water cycle benefits from curriculum states of matter (heating/cooling changes state)
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Temperature & Thermometers soft
Water cycle evaporation relates to temperature (heat drives evaporation)
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must understand state changes before learning about evaporation/condensation in water cycle
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Matter Is Made of Particles soft
Particle model supports understanding why mass is conserved (particles aren't destroyed)
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Developing a model of matter as particles too small to see is built on the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must observe state changes before explaining them with particle model
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Solids, Liquids & Gases hard
Must understand observable states of matter before modelling them with particles
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Comparing and grouping materials as solids, liquids, or gases requires the naming vocabulary for the three states
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Comparing and grouping solids, liquids, and gases by properties is greatly aided by the particle diagram representation
- Heating & Cooling Changes hard
Must classify states of matter before understanding changes between states
- States of Matter Vocabulary hard
Describing and measuring changes of state requires solid/liquid/gas vocabulary and the term 'change of state'
- Drawing Particle Diagrams hard
Observing and describing change of state requires reading particle diagrams showing how arrangement changes on heating or cooling
- Grouping Materials hard
Must group materials by properties before classifying into three states of matter
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
- Changing Shapes of Solids soft
Changing shapes of solids provides context for understanding solid properties
- Describing Material Properties hard
Must know material properties before investigating how shapes change
- States of Matter Vocabulary soft
Describing physical properties of materials uses solid/liquid/gas vocabulary introduced in the states of matter LANGUAGE node
Unlocks1
- Physical vs Chemical ChangeshardAges 11—13