Invisible Matter Slides
5E Phase: Engage • Day 1 NYSSLS 5-PS1-1
Unit: Matter Detectives
The Mystery of Invisible Matter
If you can’t see it, does it really exist? How can invisible stuff push, push back, and weigh down the world?
Phenomenon A
The Trapped Air Syringe
Phenomenon B
The Inflating Basketball
Phenomenon C
The Disappearing Sugar
1
Phenomenon 1: Can You Squeeze "Nothing"?
Hands-on Observation
The Plunger Challenge
1. Pull the syringe plunger out to fill the tube with air.
2. Cap the tip securely with your fingertip.
3. Push the plunger hard. What do you feel? What stops it?
Observation Question:
Why does the plunger push back like a spring if air is empty space?
What We Notice
- The air can be squished into a smaller volume.
- Resistance grows stronger the further down you push.
- Release your finger and the plunger bounces backward!
Detective Clue:
Air is made of tiny invisible things that resist being squished together!
Turn to Page 1 of your Particle Mystery Journal to record your initial sketch.
2
More Clues: Balloons & Sweet Tea
Evidence Gathering
Inflating a Ball
A flat basketball gets heavier and firmer as pump strokes force invisible air inside.
Flat Ball Mass: 570.0 g
Inflated Ball Mass: 578.5 g
Air adds mass! Invisible matter is real matter.
The Sugar Vanishing Act
Drop solid white sugar cubes into warm water and stir. In 60 seconds, they vanish.
Where did the solid go?
Taste test: The water is sweet!
The sugar is still there—broken into pieces too small to see!
How can we explain these phenomena using a single scientific model?
Our Mission
The Big Driving Question
Week 1 Investigation
"What is matter really made of, and what happens to it when substances change, mix, or seem to vanish?"
Over the next 5 days, we will test mystery powders, build microscopic particle models, track every single gram on digital balances, and crack the mystery of chemical reactions!
Ready: Complete your initial Particle Mystery Model on Page 2! Matter Detectives • Unit 1
Particle Mystery Journal
5E Phase: Engage • Day 1
Particle Mystery Journal
NYSSLS 5-PS1-1: Particles Too Small to Be Seen
Name: ___________________________
Date: ____________ Class: ______
Driving Mystery: If we cannot see air or dissolved sugar, how do we know they are made of physical matter?
1
Phenomenon A: Squeezing Trapped Air
Syringe Investigation
Trap 30 mL of air inside your capped syringe. Push the plunger down with your thumb as far as possible, then release it.
What did your fingers feel?
Why does the plunger spring back?
2
Phenomenon B: The Weigh-In
Basketball Mass Evidence
Deflated Ball 570.2 g
Fully Inflated Ball 578.6 g
Change in Mass +8.4 g
Explain where the extra 8.4 grams came from. Does air have mass?
3
Phenomenon C: The Disappearing Sugar
Solution Observation
You placed 5 g of solid sugar into 50 g of warm water. After 1 minute of stirring, the crystals were invisible.
Did the sugar disappear from existence? What evidence tells you it is still there?
Unit: Matter Detectives • Grade 5 Science Page 1 of 2
Science & Engineering Practice SEP 2: Developing & Using Models
Initial Particle Model: The Unseen World
Scientists use models (drawings using dots or circles) to show things that are too tiny for human eyes to see.
Model 1: Trapped Air Particles
Draw dots (•) to represent air particles
In the circles below, imagine you have a super-microscope looking inside the syringe tube.
Plunger Out (Normal Air)
Particles are spread out
Plunger Pushed In (Compressed Air)
Particles are pushed closer together
Model 2: Dissolving Sugar Particles
Water = open circles (○), Sugar = solid dots (●)
Before Stirring (Sugar Cube at Bottom)
Sugar particles clumped together
After Stirring (Dissolved Solution)
Sugar particles mixed between water
Detective Conclusion (Claim & Evidence)
Based on our observations today, complete the sentence:
Matter is made of particles too small to be seen because __________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________________.
Unit: Matter Detectives • Grade 5 Science Page 2 of 2
Property Detectives Slides
5E Phase: Explore • Day 2 NYSSLS 5-PS1-3
Unit: Matter Detectives
The Mystery Powder Crime Lab
Four unknown white powders arrived at the forensic crime lab. They look identical to the naked eye. How can we tell them apart using physical properties?
A
Powder A
Sample #101
B
Powder B
Sample #102
C
Powder C
Sample #103
D
Powder D
Sample #104
1
Diagnostic Properties to Test
Standard 5-PS1-3 Protocol
1. Texture & Magnetism
- Visual/Feel: Crystalline granules vs. silky flour.
- Magnetism: Bring a bar magnet close. Does it attract?
Only materials containing iron/ferromagnetic particles respond!
2. Solubility & Conductivity
- Solubility: Mix 1 scoop into 30 mL water. Does it dissolve or remain cloudy/settled?
- Conductivity: Test the liquid with an LED circuit probe.
Standard Note: We do NOT measure density or mass vs weight.
Safety Rule: Never taste or touch chemicals directly to eyes or mouth!
2
Known Suspect Dossier
Reference Standards
Substance 1
Table Salt
- • Cubic crystals
- • Non-magnetic
- • Highly soluble
- • Conducts when dissolved
Substance 2
Cornstarch
- • Silky fine powder
- • Non-magnetic
- • Insoluble (cloudy paste)
- • Does not conduct
Substance 3
Baking Soda
- • Soft powdery white
- • Non-magnetic
- • Moderately soluble
- • Mildly conductive
Substance 4
Iron Filings
- • Dark gray granules
- • Strongly magnetic
- • Insoluble in water
- • Conducts dry electricity
Ready to test! Follow your testing protocol on the Substance Sleuth Lab Sheet. Investigation Active
