Grade 3 Science Sample Questions

Q1. Which one is an example of a liquid?

A. Ice

B. Air

C. Fruit juice

D. Wood

Answer is C. Fruit juice. Explanation - Fruit juice is a liquid as liquid is matter that has a fixed volume but does not have fixed shape. It takes the shape of its container.

Q2. Changing from a liquid to a gas is called

A. condensing

B. evaporating

C. melting

D. freezing

Answer is B. evaporating. Explanation - Adding heat to a liquid can make it evaporate, or change from a liquid to a gas. This change happens at the surface, or top, of a liquid.

Q3. Which of these is the BEST way to separate a mixture of steel buttons and plastic buttons?

A. straining

B. filtering

C. using a magnet

D. evaporation

Answer is C. Using a magnet. Explanation - Iron and steel stick to the magnet whereas plastic and sawdust do not. Hence using a magnet helps in separating the steel buttons.

Q4. What do plants get from soil that they need in order to grow?

A. Sunlight

B. Nutrients

C. Oxygen

D. Animals

Answer is B. Nutrients. Explanation - Soil is the thin layer of material on Earth's surface in which plants can grow. It supports plants and gives them nutrients. Nutrients help plant grow.

Q5. A canyon is a kind of

A. Mountain

B. Valley

C. Hill

D. Island

Answer is B. Valley. Explanation - A canyon is a valley that is narrow and deep, with steep, straight sides. The Grand Canyon is very deep canyon. It is found in Arizona. Palo Duro Canyon is sometimes called the "Grand Canyon of Texas".

Q6. Which is the third planet from the sun?

A. Mercury

B. Jupiter

C. Earth

D. Venus

Answer is C. Earth. Explanation - Mercury is closest to the sun. It is also the smallest planet. Venus is the second planet from the sun. It is about the same size as Earth. Mercury and Venus do have moons. Earth is the third planet from the sun. It is the only planet known to have living things. It has one moon.

Q7. Which is the BEST definition of the word "Environment"?

A. all the living and nonliving things in an area.

B. the living things in an environment.

C. a large area, such as a forest.

D. everything that surrounds a living thing.

Answer is D. Explanation - Everything that surrounds a living thing is called its evironment. There are many different kinds of environments on Earth. There are deserts amd forests. There are rivers and lakes. There are grassy plains.

Q8. Which is a living thing that makes its own food?

A. worm

B. seal

C. grass

D. bird

Answer is C. Grass. Explanation - Grass is a plant, so it makes its own food. All food chains begin with living things that make their own food. Grass uses the energy of sunlight to make its own food. The grass uses some of this energy to stay alive and rest of the energy is stored in its leaves. A plant is eaten by an animal. That animal is eaten by another animal and this way the food chain grows.

Q9. How long does it take Earth to go around the sun once?

A. one year

B. one month

C. one week

D. one day

Answer is A. One year. Explanation - The sun travel through space, and Earth travels along with it. Earth moves in a curved path around the sun. The path that Earth follows is called its orbit. Earth takes one year to go around the sun once.

Q10. What is sound?

A. energy that makes things feel warm.

B. energy of moving objects.

C. energy you can hear.

D. energy you can see.

Answer is C. Energy you can hear. Explanation - Sound is energy that you can hear. Sound is made when objects vibrate. When something vibrates, it moves back and forth very fast. Rest all are other forms of energy.

Review Topics of STAAR Exam

For more questions Study Guide and Preparation- State of Texas Assessments of Academic Readiness (STAAR)

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