Testing Material Properties

Overview

Plastic, metal, wood, and stone. We encounter many different materials every day. Each object around us is made of a specific material. Why are they not all made from the same material? The answer is that every material has different properties; some are hard and others are soft, some are transparent and others are opaque. For each product that is produced, the material from which it is made determines many of its properties. This is why material testing is so important. These tests allow researchers and engineers to select the appropriate material for each product. In this lesson plan, students will do their own material testing to characterize different materials and to compare their properties with each other.

NGSS Alignment

• 2-PS1-1. Plan and conduct an investigation to describe and classify different kinds of materials by their observable properties.

Materials

• Two balls of the same size, but a different material. Some possibilities are glass marbles, wooden or Syrofoam balls, bouncy balls, or sports balls. The two balls should have distinct properties (e.g. bouncy versus non-bouncy, transparent versus opaque, squishy versus non-squishy, etc.)
• Various materials to test, such as:
  • Wooden popsicle stick
  • Plastic sandwich bag
  • Piece of Styrofoam
  • Play dough or clay
  • Piece of paper
  • Tissue paper
  • Thick rubber band
  • Rock
  • Piece of cloth or fabric
  • Metal paper clips or washers
  • Coin
  • Aluminum foil

For each student group of 3:

• 2-3 of the above-mentioned materials; 1 of each material per group. Each group should test a different set of materials.
• Bowl or cup filled with water (the bowl should be big enough to also fit each of the selected test materials)
• Medicine dropper or pipette
• Flashlight
• One additional coin
• Paper towels