5-PS1-2 | Conservation of Matter · NYS standard · Grade 5 test questions

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Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances the total amount of matter is conserved.

Clarification statement: Examples of reactions or changes could include phase changes, dissolving, and mixing that form new substances. Assume that reactions with any gas production are conducted in a closed system.

Assessment boundary: Assessment does not include distinguishing between mass and weight.

Grade 5 Science Test Questions

Released New York State Grade 5 science test questions that assess 5-PS1-2 are listed here by test and question cluster. Each link opens the question with its answer key.

Exam	Cluster	Question
Spring 2026 Grade 5 Test	Minerals of New York State	Question 7
Spring 2025 Grade 5 Test	Properties of Substances	Question 7

Vocabulary

Terms from the Elementary Science Glossary that come from this standard or from the released Grade 5 Science Test questions that assess it.

From this standard

• closed system
• conservation of matter
• cooling
• dissolving
• evidence
• gas production
• graph
• heating
• mass
• matter
• measurement
• mixing
• new substance
• phase change
• quantity
• reaction
• substance
• total amount of matter
• weight

From released test questions

• bar graph – Spring 2026
• beaker – Spring 2026
• chemical reaction – Spring 2025
• heat – Spring 2025
• investigation – Spring 2026
• liquid – Spring 2026
• model – Spring 2026
• observation – Spring 2025
• system – Spring 2025
• thermal conductivity – Spring 2025
• total mass – Spring 2026

Implied by this standard

• law of conservation of matter – implied by "regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances the total amount of matter is conserved"

Performance Level Descriptions

Every Grade 5 Science Test question on 5-PS1-2 is written to match one of the performance level descriptions (PLDs) below.

Level 1: Using measured quantities or a graph, identify the evidence, from those given, that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total amount of matter is conserved. Spring 2026 · Q7 Spring 2025 · Q7

Level 2: Measure or graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total amount of matter is conserved.

Level 3: Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, or mixing substances, the total amount of matter is conserved.

Level 4: Measure and graph quantities to provide evidence that regardless of the type of change that occurs when heating, cooling, going through a phase change, and mixing substances, the total amount of matter is conserved.

Notice: PLD levels!

Resources

Examples and discussion of resources for the learning, teaching, and assessment of 5-PS1-2.

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Page contributors: Conrad Richman

Grades 3–5 science standards | 5. Structure and Properties of Matter