Content Benchmark P.8.A.4
Students know atoms often combine to form molecules, and that compounds form when
two or more different kinds of atoms chemically bond. E/S
1st Item Specification: Understand physical and chemical properties
Depth Of Knowledge Level 1
1. Which of the following is a chemical property of matter?
A. Melting
B. Magnetism
C. Flammability
D. Density
2. Which of the following is a physical property of matter?
A. Melting
B. Flammability
C. Reacting with water
D. Fizzing in vinegar
Depth Of Knowledge Level 2
3. Maria is conducting an investigation to identify the properties of an unknown powder.
She mixes the powder with vinegar. Which of the following observations made by
Maria shows a physical and a chemical property of the white powder?
A. The powder is white and has a grainy texture before the reaction.
B. The vinegar begins fizzing when the powder is added and the temperature is
lower.
C. The vinegar is clear and the powder is white before they are combined.
D. The vinegar is a liquid and the powder is a solid before they are combined.
4. Luann is conducting an investigation to compare two liquids. One of the liquids is
water, the other is alcohol. Luann’s data are shown on the table below.
Luann’s data
Liquid A
Liquid B
Clear
Clear
Colorless
Colorless
Boils at 100◦C
Boils at 79◦C
Extinguishes a flame Burns
Which two properties above most likely identify the water?
A. Clear and burns.
B. Boils at 79◦C and burns.
C. Colorless and clear.
D. Colorless and boils at 100◦C.
5. Jose is conducting an experiment to investigate the properties of an unknown powder.
Jose’s observations are listed on the data table below:
1
2
3
4
Observations of unknown powder
The powder melts when heated.
The powder has large, white, crystals.
The powder dissolves in water.
The powder reacts with acid.
Which of the following shows a physical and a chemical property of the powder?
A. The powder melts when heated and dissolves in water.
B. The powder dissolves in water and reacts with acid.
C. The powder melts and has large, white crystals.
D. The powder dissolves in water and has large, white, crystals.
2nd Item Specification: Understand physical and chemical changes and identify
evidence of chemical changes (e.g., releasing heat, absorbing heat, and producing
gas).
Depth Of Knowledge Level 1
6. Which of the following is evidence that a chemical change has occurred?
A. Water bubbling when it starts to boil.
B. Detergent removing grease from a dish.
C. Sugar turning black when it burns.
D. Oil and vinegar separating in salad dressing.
7. Which of the following is the BEST example of a chemical change?
A. Apples turning brown as they decompose or rot.
B. Sugar cubes dissolving when they are put in water.
C. A glass breaking when it falls from a table.
D. Melted butter turning to solid when it cools.
Depth Of Knowledge Level 2
8. Which of the following is evidence that a chemical change is occurring?
A. Cherry drink mix is added to water and the resulting solution is red.
B. A white powder is added to cool tap water in a beaker and the beaker gets hot.
C. Water is added to coffee until the solution becomes clear.
D. Water is added to sand and the sand looks darker.
9. Use drawings #1-4 to answer the question below.
Drawing 1
Drawing 2
Drawing 3
Drawing 4
Which drawing is most likely a compound produced by a chemical change?
A. Drawing 1
B. Drawing 2
C. Drawing 3
D. Drawing 4
10. Marianne and Paul conducted several physical and chemical tests on a piece of metal
in their science class. Their observations appear on the data table below.
Observations of metal during physical and chemical tests
Flattened into a thin sheet when pounded with a hammer.
Melted when placed in a hot flame.
Produced bubbles of gas when dropped into acid.
Conducted electricity when attached to a battery.
Produced salt when combined with a nonmetal.
Which of the following identifies both a physical AND a chemical change to the metal?
A. Flattening into a thin sheet and melting.
B. Melting and conducting electricity.
C. Conducting electricity and producing bubbles of gas.
D. Producing bubbles of gas and producing salt.
3rd Item Specification: Given a chemical formula, identify the number and type of
atoms in a molecule.
Depth Of Knowledge Level 1
11. Which element is contained in all of the following chemical compounds?
Compounds: CO2, NaHCO3, C6H12O6 and C4H10.
A. Hydrogen.
B. Oxygen.
C. Carbon.
D. Sodium.
12. The chemical formula for two molecules of water is 2H2O. Identify the kinds and
numbers of atoms in two water molecules.
A. Two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.
B. Two hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms.
C. Four hydrogen atoms and four oxygen atoms.
D. Four hydrogen atoms and two oxygen atoms.
Depth Of Knowledge Level 2
13. The formula for two molecules of the simple sugar glucose is 2C6H12O6. Two
molecules of glucose contain
A. 2 kinds of atoms and 24 total atoms.
B. 3 kinds of atoms and 2 total atoms.
C. 3 kinds of atoms and 48 total atoms.
D. 24 kinds of atoms and 3 total atoms.
14. One molecule of iron oxide or rust contains two atoms of iron and three atoms of
oxygen. Which of the following formulas represents rust?
A. 2FeO2.
B. Fe2O3
C. FeO
D. HOI
15. Which of the following pairs of compounds contain the same number of atoms, but
different kinds of atoms?
A. CO2 and CaCl2.
B. CO2 and CO.
C. MgCO3 and 2CaCO3.
D. C4H10 and C5H12.
4th Item Specification: Understand that chemical reactions can result in a pH
change (acids, bases, and neutralizations).
Depth Of Knowledge Level 1
16. Pure water is neutral and has a pH of 7. When lemon juice is added to water the pH
will become lower than 7 and turns litmus paper red. Lemon juice is
A. a salt.
B. an acid.
C. a base.
D. Neutral.
17. Which of the following is evidence that a chemical change has occurred?
A. A change in acidity
B. A change in shape
C. A change in size
D. A change in mass
Depth Of Knowledge Level 2
18. Lee has three clear liquids, labeled liquid A, B, and C. One is an acid, one is a base,
and one is pure water, but he is not sure which is which. Lee has made the following
observations about the three liquids.
 Liquid B does not change the color of litmus paper.
 When liquids A and B are mixed, the solution turns litmus paper pink.
 When liquids A and C are mixed, the solution does not change the color of litmus
paper.
Which of the following statements is true about the liquids?
A. Liquid C is an acid and liquid A is water.
B. Liquid B is an acid and liquid C is water.
C. Liquid A is an acid and liquid B is a base.
D. Liquid A is an acid and liquid B is water.
19. Marla’s teacher gave her some baking soda. She added a liquid to the baking soda and
a reaction occurred. She asked Marla to find out if the liquid was an acid or a base.
Marla tested the new substance with litmus paper. She decided that an acid had
reacted with the baking soda. Which of the following evidence would support Marla’s
conclusion that an acid was present?
A. The new substance did not change the color of litmus paper.
B. The new substance turned the litmus paper pink.
C. The new substance turned the litmus paper blue.
D. The new substance turned the litmus paper white.
Constructed Response P.8.A.4
20. Matthew’s teacher gave him a piece of iron and asked him to determine some
physical and chemical properties of the metal. Matthew’s observations are on the
table below:
Physical and chemical properties of iron
Conducts electricity.
Reacts with acid.
Reacts with oxygen in the air to form rust.
Attracts to a magnet.
Matthew’s teacher wants him to organize the properties as either physical or
chemical. Below is the data table Matthew made for this purpose.
A. Identify the properties as physical or chemical by writing each one on the
Matthew’s data table.
Physical properties
Chemical properties
B. Justify why you categorized each property as either a physical and chemical
property
Content Benchmark P.8.A.4
Students know atoms often combine to form molecules, and that compounds form when
two or more different kinds of atoms chemically bond. E/S
Answers to Sample Test Questions
1. C, DOK level 1
2. A, DOK level 1
3. B, DOK level 2
4. D, DOK level 2
5. B, DOK level 2
6. C, DOK level 1
7. A, DOK level 1
8. B, DOK level 2
9. B, DOK level 2
10. C, DOK level 2
11. C, DOK level 1
12. D, DOK level 1
13. C, DOK level 1
14. B, DOK level 2
15. A, DOK level 2
16. B, DOK level 1
17. A, DOK level 1
18. D, DOK level 2
19. B, DOK level 2
Constructed Response 3-point Answer and Score Rubric:
Physical properties Chemical properties.
Conducts electricity
Reacts with acid.
Attracted to a magnet Reacts with oxygen in the air to form rust.
3 points
Response addresses all parts of the question clearly and correctly.
Physical properties are characteristics of a substance that do not
involve a chemical change, or change in the structure of the molecules
and/or compounds. Chemical properties are characteristics of a
substance that describe the substance’s ability to participate in
chemical reactions. The structure of the molecules and/or compounds
is changed. Reacts with acid and reacts with oxygen are chemical.
Attracted to a magnet and conducts electricity are physical. Physical
properties do not change the structure of matter. (The iron is not
changed into a new substance.) Chemical properties do change the
structure of matter. (A chemical change occurs or the iron combines
with other atoms to make a new substance)
2 points
Response addresses all parts of the question and includes only minor
errors.
1 point
Response does not address all parts of the question.
0 points
Response is totally incorrect or no response provided.