Identifying Solids and Liquids Worksheet

Many of the common everyday materials around us can be grouped as SOLIDS or LIQUIDS.

Pouring liquid

Liquids take the shape of their container, they have a flat surface and they can be poured.

Pile of sand

This pile of sand is made of small, hard pieces. It does not have a flat surface and will not flow back if you push your finger into it.

OK, let's get stuck into solids and liquids!

Some liquids are 'runnier' than others.


Cooking Oil	Shower Gel	Lemonade

Starting with the 'runniest', which is the correct order of these three liquids?

oil, lemonade, shower gel

shower gel, oil, lemonade

lemonade, oil, shower gel

Which TWO of these are usually COLOURLESS liquids?

("Colourless" is the proper scientific word for something that you might call clear or see-through; it basically means that the substance has no colour, like glass in a window).

lemonade

cola

blackcurrant juice

water

Which THREE of these statements are true for SOLIDS?

they have a flat surface

they can be poured

they have a definite shape

they do not take the shape of their container

they do not have a flat surface

Which THREE statements are true about LIQUIDS?

they flow back if 'pushed'

they have a definite shape

they do not pour

their surface is flat

they take the shape of their container

Bowl of cornflakes

What is between the pieces of dry cereal in this bowl?

nothing

air

sugar

Some solids which are made up of small pieces appear to 'flow'.

Which THREE of these solids are made up of small pieces which 'flow'?

marbles

salt

caster sugar

paperclips

dry sand

ANSWERS

Question 1

Which THREE of these are liquids?

CORRECT ANSWER

blackcurrant juice
'squirty' soap
milk

EDDIE SAYS

Great! Salt is a grainy solid and butter (in the fridge at least!) is fairly solid, with a definite shape. The other three all take on the shape of whatever container they're put in: jug, glass, saucer. Yes?

ANSWERS

Question 2

Some liquids are 'runnier' than others.


Cooking Oil	Shower Gel	Lemonade

Starting with the 'runniest', which is the correct order of these three liquids?

CORRECT ANSWER

lemonade, oil, shower gel

EDDIE SAYS

That needs some thought! Lemonade pours quickly and easily, the oil is a little thicker and pours more slowly, while the shower gel is what you might call "gloopy" in that it flows very slowly and even needs a squeeze to help it out of the bottle.

ANSWERS

Question 3

Which THREE of these are solids?

CORRECT ANSWER

flour
sand
cornflakes

EDDIE SAYS

The size of the pieces in solids can be very small, eg flour, or larger, eg cereals. Sometimes you have to think a bit about whether something is a solid or not, especially if it's made of tiny particles, like flour.
Can you think of some other examples?

ANSWERS

Question 4

Which TWO of these are usually COLOURLESS liquids?

("Colourless" is the proper scientific word for something that you might call clear or see-through; it basically means that the substance has no colour, like glass in a window).

CORRECT ANSWER

lemonade
water

EDDIE SAYS

OK, so lemonade and water have no colour, so you can call them COLOURLESS. Cola is sort of browny while blackcurrant juice is purple. Many common liquids have a colour, but to stay safe, never drink any liquid you are not sure of!

ANSWERS

Question 5

Which THREE are coloured liquids?

CORRECT ANSWER

brown sauce
milk
cranberry juice

EDDIE SAYS

There you go! Water and clear varnish = COLOURLESS, while milk is white, cranberry juice is red and brown sauce is, er ... brown!

ANSWERS

Question 6

Which THREE of these are solids if they are sitting in your kitchen?

CORRECT ANSWER

glass
wood
wax

EDDIE SAYS

Can you pour yoghurt or paint? Yes? Liquids, then. Can you pour glass, wood or candlewax (remember, at room temperature)? Do they keep their shape? They are solids. Happy?

ANSWERS

Question 7

Which THREE of these statements are true for SOLIDS?

CORRECT ANSWER

they have a definite shape
they do not take the shape of their container
they do not have a flat surface

EDDIE SAYS

OK, so solids don't have to have a flat surface (a rock is a solid) and they can never be poured. That means they never change shape to fit their container and they have a definite shape. You can change that shape by doing something to them (like squashing some plasticene), but they have a shape of their own. Getting there?

ANSWERS

Question 8

Which THREE statements are true about LIQUIDS?

CORRECT ANSWER

they flow back if 'pushed'
their surface is flat
they take the shape of their container

EDDIE SAYS

Yes, liquids pour, so they 'flow back', and they become jug-shaped in a jug, bottle-shaped in a bottle, and so on. The top of a liquid is always flat whilst in its container (but, of course, that doesn't really work for big things like the sea being blown by the wind and creating waves!). Science is not always 100% straightforward, is it?

ANSWERS

Question 9

Bowl of cornflakes

What is between the pieces of dry cereal in this bowl?

CORRECT ANSWER

air

EDDIE SAYS

Solids do not 'fill' their container because there are air gaps between the pieces of solid material. Makes sense, really. Just needs some thought....

ANSWERS

Question 10

Some solids which are made up of small pieces appear to 'flow'.

Which THREE of these solids are made up of small pieces which 'flow'?

CORRECT ANSWER

salt
caster sugar
dry sand

EDDIE SAYS

Yes! Sometimes solids can appear to behave like a liquid - like you can "pour" sand out of your hand. However, that's because what you're holding in your hand is millions of tiny pieces of sand, each one with a definite shape, volume, etc.. The salt, sugar and sand are all made of tiny pieces while marbles are big glass balls and paperclips are pieces of metal wire.