Physical & Chemical ChangesGrade 5 Science for Kids

Changes that make new substances and changes that don't.

Physical & Chemical Changes helps fifth graders sort the two kinds of change, race nails to see which rusts first and make gas with baking soda and vinegar to blow up a balloon. Exciting chemistry experiments.

  • Grade 5 · Ages 10–11
  • 3 lessons
  • 3 experiments
  • 12 practice questions
  • About 25 min
Start Learning Free Open the Course
  • Physical or Chemical?
  • Change Sort
  • Rust Race
  • Nail Race
  • Fizz Reaction
  • Balloon Blow-Up

Science lab course · Grade 5

Physical & Chemical Changes · Learning goals

What Your Child Will Learn

Sort physical and chemical changes, race nails to see which rusts first, and make gas with baking soda and vinegar to blow up a balloon.

  • Physical changes keep the same substance. Chemical changes make new substances.
  • Iron rusts when it reacts with water and oxygen. Salt water makes it rust faster.
  • A chemical reaction can make a gas. More baking soda made more gas and a bigger balloon.

Why it matters

Why This Matters for Kids

  • New substances

    Kids learn that chemical changes make something new, while physical changes don't.

  • Rust and cooking

    Rusting bikes and baking cakes are chemical changes kids see every day.

  • Evidence of change

    Bubbles, color changes and heat are clues kids learn to look for.

Inside Physical & Chemical Changes

How the Course Works

Each level has a short read-aloud lesson, an interactive experiment and a mini quiz.

  1. Step 1 · Lesson

    Physical or Chemical?

    A physical change changes shape, size or state, but it's still the same substance.

  2. Step 2 · Experiment

    Change Sort

    Let's be chemists! Does each change make a new substance or not?

  3. Step 3 · Lesson

    Rust Race

    Rust forms when iron reacts with oxygen and water. It's a chemical change!

  4. Step 4 · Experiment

    Nail Race

    Let's put iron nails in salt water, tap water and dry air. Which nail will rust first?

  5. Step 5 · Lesson

    Fizz Reaction

    Baking soda and vinegar react to make a new substance: carbon dioxide gas!

  6. Step 6 · Experiment

    Balloon Blow-Up

    Let's put vinegar in a bottle and baking soda in a balloon. We'll add more baking soda each time and measure the balloon.

Lesson preview

A Peek Inside the Lesson

This is the real lesson text your child hears, read aloud by a friendly voice.

Physical or Chemical?

A physical change changes shape, size or state, but it's still the same substance.

A chemical change makes a brand-new substance.

Signs of a chemical change: new color, gas bubbles, light, heat or a new smell.

Rust Race

Rust forms when iron reacts with oxygen and water. It's a chemical change!

Salt water makes iron rust even faster.

We paint bridges and cars to keep water and air away from the metal.

Fizz Reaction

Baking soda and vinegar react to make a new substance: carbon dioxide gas!

The gas needs space, so it can blow up a balloon.

More reactants (baking soda) make more gas.

For parents

Try It at Home

Learning sticks best when kids use it in real life. Here are simple ideas from this course.

Parent Tip

Put baking soda in a bottle, add vinegar and stretch a balloon over the top. Talk about the gas that blows it up.

Change Sort

  1. Cut an apple in half (physical).
  2. Leave one half in the air for an hour.
  3. It turns brown: a chemical change!

Physical changes keep the same substance. Chemical changes make new substances.

Nail Race

  1. Put steel wool or a nail in 3 jars: salt water, tap water and an empty jar.
  2. Check every day for a week.
  3. Which one turns orange first?

Iron rusts when it reacts with water and oxygen. Salt water makes it rust faster.

Balloon Blow-Up

  1. With a grown-up, pour vinegar into a bottle.
  2. Put baking soda in a balloon with a funnel.
  3. Stretch the balloon on the bottle and tip the soda in!

A chemical reaction can make a gas. More baking soda made more gas and a bigger balloon.

Practice

Grade 5 Science Practice Questions

Real questions from Physical & Chemical Changes. Try them with your child, then tap to see the answer.

  1. Question 1

    Which is a chemical change?

    • A.Cutting paper
    • B.Melting ice
    • C.Burning wood
    Show answer

    Burning wood

  2. Question 2

    What does iron need to rust?

    • A.Water and oxygen
    • B.Only sunlight
    • C.Only sugar
    Show answer

    Water and oxygen

  3. Question 3

    What gas do baking soda and vinegar make?

    • A.Oxygen
    • B.Carbon dioxide
    • C.Steam
    Show answer

    Carbon dioxide

The full course has 12 questions with instant feedback, stars and rewards. Create a free account to play them all.

Physical & Chemical Changes · Questions from parents

Frequently Asked Questions

What age is this course for?

Physical & Chemical Changes is a grade 5 science course for kids ages 10–11. That is Year 6 science in the UK and Year 5 in Australia. It also works well for review in the next grade, or as a challenge for a confident younger learner.

What will my child learn?

Sort physical and chemical changes, race nails to see which rusts first, and make gas with baking soda and vinegar to blow up a balloon. Along the way they practice: Physical changes keep the same substance. Chemical changes make new substances; Iron rusts when it reacts with water and oxygen. Salt water makes it rust faster; A chemical reaction can make a gas. More baking soda made more gas and a bigger balloon.

How long does the course take?

About 25 minutes in total, split into 3 short levels. Most kids finish it over two or three sessions. Progress is saved, so they can stop any time and pick up where they left off.

Is this course free?

Physical & Chemical Changes is part of SkillBloom Premium, which unlocks every course in every subject. Each subject also has free courses, so your child can try SkillBloom before you decide.

Does my child need to read well to use it?

No. Every lesson has a friendly read-aloud voice, questions are read aloud too, and the pictures help kids follow along. Confident readers can turn the voice off.

Can we use it for homeschool?

Yes. SkillBloom is built for homeschooling families. Kids work through lessons, games and quizzes on their own, and the parent dashboard shows what they finished and which skills need more practice. It works on phones, tablets and laptops.

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