Physical properties of rocks: hardness | Science | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Match the objects to the material it is often made from.
- roof
  
  ⇔
  
  rock ✓
- road
  
  ⇔
  
  tarmac ✓
- window
  
  ⇔
  
  glass ✓
- chair
  
  ⇔
  
  wood ✓
Which of these describe a physical property of a material?
- flexible ✓
- brown ✓
- expensive
- rare
- rough ✓
If you wanted to observe a rock more closely which of these pieces of equipment could you use?
- a ruler
- a tape measure
- a hand lens ✓
- a weighing scale
- a microscope ✓
Which of these statements describes a rock?
- Rock is a natural material. ✓
- Rock is a human-made material.
- Rock comes from Earth's crust. ✓
When we compare rocks, we observe ______ and differences to be able to group them together.
- 'similarities' ✓
We can work like a scientist to carry out an ______ to find answers to questions.
- 'investigation' ✓

The physical properties of rock are features that can be observed or ...
- 'measured' ✓
Which of these are physical properties of rocks you might observe or measure?
- How much it cost.
- How hard it is. ✓
- How much it crumbles. ✓
- How much it weighs. ✓
__________ rocks are hard. Fill in the gap.
- All
- A few
- Most ✓
Which of the rocks named below can be grouped as hard?
- Granite ✓
- Sandstone
- Marble ✓
- Chalk
Which of these investigations would show if a rock was hard or not?
- Dropping the rock into water.
- Weighing how heavy the rock is.
- Scratching the rock's surface with a nail. ✓
Match the object to the most suitable rock.
- roof
  
  ⇔
  
  slate ✓
- ornament
  
  ⇔
  
  soapstone ✓
- kitchen worktop
  
  ⇔
  
  granite ✓

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The physical properties of a material are its features that can be observed or measured.
Hardness is a physical property of rocks.
Rocks can be compared and grouped on the basis of their hardness.

Pupils may believe that all rocks are hard. Also that if a rock is heavy it is therefore hard.

Share a wide range of rocks the children can handle to explore the property of hardness so they realise some rocks are much softer than others.

Rock - Rock is a solid material that occurs naturally in Earth.
Physical properties - Physical properties are the features which can be observed from the way an object looks or feels or can be measured.
Hardness - Hardness is the quality of being difficult to bend, cut, or break.
Compare - To compare is to examine or look for the difference between two or more things.
Group - To group is when a number of people or things are put together.