Physical processes worksheets
Playing with light
What causes a rainbow to appear in the sky. Why are there colours in soap bubbles? If you put a stick, spoon or toy in water, why does it appears bent. Let's find out!
Looking at day length in different seasons
Have a look at the dates in this table. Which season are each of these dates in? Can you count how many hours of daylight are in each day?
How light helps us to see
We see an object because light shines onto it and is reflected back into our eye. When it gets dark this evening, try this activity to prove the theory.
How does distance of an object from a light source change the shadow it makes?
Time for an experiment! Let's find out how the distance of an object from a light source changes the shadow it makes.
Bottle music
For this investigation you will need to ask a parent or adult if you can borrow some glass bottles (milk bottles are ideal). Remember to be careful when handling glass and ask an adult to help you clean the bottles first.
Why do we use grit?
When the roads are slippery in winter we spread grit and then salt on them. But is salt the most effective solid we could use? Conduct this simple experiment to investigate!
What stores and transfers energy?
Energy cannot be created or destroyed, it can only be transferred from one store into another. In these pictures, which items do you think use energy? Which ones store energy? Do they all store/use the same type of energy? Cut them out and sort them into groups.
What is evaporation?
In this investigation you are going to see if water can move – or does it just change?
Understanding wind power
Wind is moving air and we can use the energy in wind to do work. Look at these pictures to see how people have always used wind power to help them. How does the wind make these things work? Put the wind to work for you! Make your own pinwheel and watch it spin in the wind.
Understanding temperature game
Look at these pictures. Can you identify what each item is? Which ones generate heat? Which ones don’t? Can you cut them out and sort them into two groups?
Understanding forces: pushing and pulling
Pushing and pulling FORCES make things speed up or slow down or change direction or shape. A change in speed, direction or shape always has a CAUSE. Sort the following pictures into forces caused by pushes and forces called by pulls. Then think of your own examples of pushes and pulls as you do things throughout the day.
Understanding evaporation
Evaporation is the process by which a liquid such as water turns into a gas. In this simple experiment you will investigate how this process takes place.
The science of making music
Look at these pictures of different musical instruments. Which part is vibrating to make the sounds we hear – is it the skin, strings, metal, wood or air inside the instrument? Record which you think it is below each picture.
The greenhouse effect investigation
Our planet is constantly affected by different forces and factors – many of which are caused by humans. We often hear about something called “the greenhouse effect”… but what is it? The greenhouse effect is when our planet heats up due to harmful gases collecting in our atmosphere. This simple investigation will show you how it happens!
Sunrise and sunset
When we can first see the sun in the morning, we call this sunrise. When the sun disappears at night, we call this sunset. If you watch the weather on television, they often report when sunrise and sunset will take place. Look at this data table below which shows sunrise and sunset for London for each month over one year. Can you complete the data missing in the table? See if you can use this information to answer the questions below.
Sun cream investigation
When we go out in summer we have to apply sun cream or sun spray to help stop us from being burnt by the sun. Does this really work? Does it really stop us from being burnt by the sun’s rays? Try this simple experiment to find out!
Sources of light
Look at these picture cards. Can you sort them into two groups – those that are sources of light and those that are not?
Solid, liquid or gas?
Look at these cards. Cut them out and then sort them according to whether you think they are a solid, a liquid or a gas. Be careful…some have been put in to challenge you!
Separating solids investigation
Ask an adult to provide you with a bowl filled with rice, sand, metal paper clips (or pins) and pasta (ideally penne) all mixed together. How could separate these materials? Ask to use a sieve, some plastic bowls and a magnet. See if you can use this equipment to separate out these solids.