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Properties of Materials: Test Like a Scientist with Rivet

Properties of Materials: Test Like a Scientist with Rivet

Learn the properties of materials, from hardness to magnetism, by scratching, stirring, sparking and testing in a robot's science lab.

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What you'll learn

  • How a fair scratch test shows which materials are harder
  • The difference between transparent, translucent and opaque materials
  • Which solids are soluble or insoluble, and why dissolving isn't melting
  • Why metals are good electrical and thermal conductors
  • Why only some metals, like iron and steel, are magnetic
  • How to use fair test results to choose metal, wood or plastic

Chapter by chapter

  1. Hardness: comparing hard and soft materials with a fair scratch test Free to try

    Year 5 science · 1 Year 5 science · 2

  2. Transparency: transparent, translucent and opaque materials

    Year 5 science · 1

  3. Solubility: soluble and insoluble solids in water

    Year 5 science · 1

  4. Conductivity: electrical and thermal conductors and insulators

    Year 5 science · 1 Year 5 science · 2

  5. Response to magnets: magnetic and non-magnetic materials

    Year 5 science · 1

  6. Comparing and grouping materials by their properties

    Year 5 science · 1

  7. Fair tests and evidence: why we use metals, wood and plastic

    Year 5 science · 2 Year 5 science · 1

  8. Lab Champion Challenge (10 questions)

What the chapters cover in the national curriculum in England:

  1. Year 5 science: Compare and group together everyday materials on the basis of their properties, including their hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity (electrical and thermal), and response to magnets
  2. Year 5 science: Give reasons, based on evidence from comparative and fair tests, for the particular uses of everyday materials, including metals, wood and plastic

About this adventure

Properties of Materials is an interactive science game that teaches children aged 9–11 how to compare and group everyday materials by hardness, solubility, transparency, conductivity and magnetism, and why we choose metal, wood or plastic for different jobs. It follows the Year 5 Science curriculum for England.

Guided by Rivet the robot, children run their own tests. They scratch blocks with a nail, shine a torch through glass and tracing paper, stir solids into water, clip materials into a circuit and drag a magnet over metals. They also sort materials into a Venn diagram and plan a fair test.

Along the way they learn key words: transparent, translucent and opaque; soluble and insoluble; conductor and insulator. They find out that a dissolved solid is still in the water, that only some metals are magnetic, and that a fair test changes just one thing.

Questions and answers

What are the properties of materials, in simple words?

Properties are the ways a material behaves, such as how hard it is, whether it dissolves in water, whether light passes through it, whether it carries heat or electricity, and whether a magnet attracts it. Scientists test these properties to decide what each material is good for.

Are all metals magnetic?

No, only some metals are magnetic. Iron, nickel and steel, which is mostly iron, are attracted to a magnet, but aluminium, copper and gold are not. Wood, plastic and glass are never attracted to a magnet.

What is the difference between dissolving and melting?

Dissolving happens when a solid, like sugar, mixes into a liquid and breaks into pieces too tiny to see, while melting happens when heat turns a solid into a liquid. A dissolved solid is still in the water, which is why sweet tea tastes sweet.

What age is this properties of materials game for?

The game is designed for children aged 9 to 11 and matches the Year 5 Science objectives on properties of materials in England. Younger children who enjoy science can play with an adult, and two short warm-ups recap earlier ideas about materials and circuits.

What does the game include and how long does it take?

The game has seven test stations, each with a short quick check, plus a ten-question final challenge, and takes about an hour to play in full. Children can start at any station and come back to finish the rest later.

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