Daryl has a ball of Silly Putty. His 6-year-old son, Mason, watches as Daryl flattens the Silly Putty into a thin "pancake." When Daryl asks Mason if there is now more Silly Putty, Mason replies "Yes" because he has _____.

Question

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Mason's response indicates that he has not yet mastered the concept of conservation, which is the understanding that even if the appearance of an object changes, its amount remains the same. In this case, flattening the Silly Putty into a thin layer changes its appearance, but not its overall amount.

Daryl Has a Ball of Silly Putty