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Float or Sink Investigation

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Float or Sink Investigation

Read the investigation, study the results, and solve the questions. If you try this at home, ask an adult to help. Use a bowl of water and small, clean objects. Dry the objects and wash your hands afterwards.

Nathan's careful test

Nathan tested one dry object at a time. She lowered each gently into the same bowl of water and watched what happened. Here are her results.

Object

What happened?

Cork

Floated

Metal coin

Sank

Plastic toy boat

Floated

Stone

Sank

Sponge

Floated

Investigate the evidence

Use Nathan's results grid to answer each question.

1.Which object sank: the cork or the metal coin?

The cork
The metal coin

2.Name one object that floated in Nathan's test.

3.How many objects floated?

Two
Three
Four

4.True or false: The stone floated in Nathan's test.

TrueFalse

5.Fill in the missing word: An object that stays on top of the water .

6.Nathan tested each object gently in the same bowl. Why is it useful to change only the object and keep the bowl and water the same?

It makes the test fairer
It makes the water disappear
It changes the object's name

7.Before putting an object in the water, what could Nathan do to make a prediction?

8.The sponge floated in Nathan's test. Does that prove every sponge will always float? Choose the best answer.

Yes, one test proves it always happens
No, another sponge or a wet sponge might behave differently

9.Nathan wants to test a new object. Put these steps in a sensible order: watch what happens; make a prediction; gently place the object in the water.

10.Suggest one safe object Nathan could test next, and say what you predict it will do.

11.Name one rule that would help keep a water investigation safe.