Chapter 6, Materials Around Usopens as two students, Ghulan and Sheeta, return to school after the summer break, excited about their new stationery. Their teacher, Madam Vidya, draws their attention to the objects around the classroom and asks, "What are these things made of?" That question is the core of this chapter. Every object around us, such as a desk, a window, a water bottle or a coin, is made of some material and every material has a set of properties that makes it suitable for the purpose it serves.
In this chapter, students learn to observe and classify materials based on appearance, hardness, transparency, solubility and whether they float or sink in water. Through various activities, they discover that the same object can be made from different materials and that the same material can be used to make many different objects. The chapter also introduces matter as a universal concept, explaining that it is anything that occupies space and has mass and that all materials are forms of matter. NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science for this chapter help CBSE Board students understand both the activities in the chapter and the back exercise questions.
Download NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 6 PDF
Download the NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 6 - Materials Around Us PDF for free and study anytime, anywhere. These solutions are written in simple and easy-to-understand language and provide accurate answers to all NCERT exercise questions. Use this PDF to revise important concepts like the properties of materials, classification, solubility, transparency and matter, complete your homework and prepare confidently for school exams.
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NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 6 - Materials Around Us
NCERT Solutions for CBSE Class 6 Science Chapter 6 given below cover all the questions in this chapter. These solutions are prepared according to the latest CBSE Board Class 6 syllabus and are designed to help students understand the concepts clearly and write accurate and well-structured answers. By practicing these solutions regularly, students can improve their understanding of the chapter and prepare confidently for school tests and exams.
Q1. Visit your kitchen and observe how your parents have organised various edibles. Can you suggest a better sorting method? Write it in your notebook.
Answer: Yes. Food items can be organised in different groups to make them easy to find and use.
One possible sorting method is:
Cereals: Rice, wheat, oats
Pulses: Moong dal, chana dal, urad dal
Spices: Turmeric, cumin, chilli powder
Cooking oils: Mustard oil, sunflower oil
Sugar and salt: Stored in separate containers
Snacks: Biscuits, chips and namkeen
This method keeps the kitchen neat and makes it easier to locate food items quickly.
Q2. Unscramble the letters (Column I) and match with their properties (Column II).
| Column I | Column II |
|---|---|
| (i) T R E M A T | (b) Occupies space and has mass |
| (ii) U L S B E L O | (d) Mixes completely in water |
| (iii) T N E R P A S N A R T | (a) Objects can be seen clearly through it |
| (iv) E R U S T L | (c) Shiny surface |
Answer:
(i) MATTER → (b) Occupies space and has mass
(ii) SOLUBLE → (d) Mixes completely in water
(iii) TRANSPARENT → (a) Objects can be seen clearly through it
(iv) LUSTRE → (c) Shiny surface
Q3. The containers which are used to store materials in shops and at home are usually transparent. Give your reasons for this.
Answer: Transparent containers allow us to see what is inside without opening them. This makes it easy to identify the contents, check the quantity left and find the required item quickly. It also helps keep things organised and saves time.
Q4. State whether the statements given below are True [T] or False [F]. Correct the False statement(s).
(i) Wood is translucent while glass is opaque.
Answer: False (F)
Correct Statement: Wood is opaque, while glass is transparent.
(ii) Aluminium foil has lustre while an eraser does not.
Answer: True (T)
Aluminium foil has a shiny surface, while an eraser is non-lustrous.
(iii) Sugar dissolves in water whereas sawdust does not.
Answer: True (T)
Sugar is soluble in water, but sawdust is insoluble.
(iv) An apple is a matter because it occupies no space and has mass.
Answer: False (F)
Correct Statement: An apple is matter because it occupies space and has mass.
Q5. We see chairs made up of various materials, such as wood, iron, plastic, bamboo, cement and stones. Following are some desirable properties of materials which can be used to make chairs. Which materials used to make chairs fulfil these properties the most?
(i) Hardness (does not bend or shake on sitting even after long use).
Answer: Iron and wood are good choices because they are hard and strong.
(ii) Lightweight (easy to lift or to take from one place to another).
Answer: Plastic and bamboo are lightweight and easy to move.
(iii) Does not feel very cold when sitting during winters.
Answer: Wood and bamboo do not feel very cold because they are poor conductors of heat.
(iv) Can be cleaned regularly and made to look new even after long use.
Answer: Plastic and iron can be cleaned easily and remain in good condition for a long time.
Q6. You need to have containers for collection of: (i) food waste, (ii) broken glass and (iii) wastepaper. Which materials will you choose for containers of these types of waste? What properties of materials do you need to think of?
Answer:
| Type of Waste | Suggested Container Material | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Food waste | Plastic | It is lightweight, waterproof and easy to clean. |
| Broken glass | Metal | It is strong and does not break easily. |
| Wastepaper | Cardboard or Plastic | It is light, easy to carry and suitable for storing dry waste. |
While choosing a container, we should consider properties such as strength, durability, water resistance, safety and ease of cleaning.
Q7. Air is all around us but does not hinder us from seeing each other. Whereas, if a wooden door comes in between, we cannot see each other. It is because air is ______ and the wooden door is ______. Choose the most appropriate option:
(i) transparent, opaque
(ii) translucent, transparent
(iii) opaque, translucent
(iv) transparent, translucent
Answer:
(i) Transparent, Opaque
Explanation: Air is transparent, so light passes through it and we can see clearly. A wooden door is opaque, so it blocks light and we cannot see through it.
Q8. Imagine you have two mysterious materials, X and Y. When you try to press material X, it feels rigid and does not change its shape easily. On the other hand, material Y easily changes its shape when you press it. Now, when you mix both materials in water, only material X dissolves completely, while material Y remains unchanged. What can materials X and Y be? Can you identify whether material X is hard or soft? What about material Y? Justify your answer.
Answer:
Material X can be common salt because it is hard and dissolves completely in water.
Material Y can be a sponge or rubber because it is soft and does not dissolve in water.
Justification:
Material X is hard because it does not change its shape when pressed.
Material Y is soft because it changes its shape easily when pressed.
Material X is soluble in water, while material Y is insoluble.
Q9. (i) Who am I? Identify me on the basis of the given properties.
(a) I have lustre.
Answer: Gold (or any other metal such as silver or aluminium)
(b) I can be easily compressed.
Answer: Sponge
(c) I am hard and soluble in water.
Answer: Common salt
(d) You cannot see clearly through me.
Answer: Butter paper (translucent material)
(e) I have mass and volume but you cannot see me.
Answer: Air
(ii) Make your own 'Who am I?'
Answer: I am hard, transparent and used to make windows. Who am I?
Answer: Glass
Q10. You are provided with the following materials-vinegar, honey, mustard oil, water, glucose and wheat flour. Make any two pairs of materials where one material is soluble in the other. Now, make two pairs of materials where one material remains insoluble in the other material.
Answer:
Soluble Pairs
Glucose + Water
Honey + Water
Both glucose and honey dissolve completely in water.
Insoluble Pairs
Mustard Oil + Water
Wheat Flour + Mustard Oil
These materials do not dissolve in each other and remain separate.
Chapter Overview
This chapter discusses how materials make up the objects around us and explains that every object is made from one or more materials. The chapter shows that different objects can be made from the same material, while the same object can also be made from different materials. It explains that materials are chosen based on their properties, which make them suitable for specific uses. Students also learn that grouping materials based on their properties makes them easier to study and compare.
The chapter explains some important properties of materials. Lustrous materials have a shiny surface, while non-lustrous materials do not. Hard materials cannot be compressed or scratched easily, whereas soft materials can be compressed or scratched more easily. Based on how they allow light to pass through them, materials are classified as transparent, translucent or opaque. Transparent materials allow almost all light to pass through them, translucent materials allow only some light to pass through, while opaque materials do not allow light to pass through.
Students also learn about the solubility of materials in water. Materials that dissolve in water are called soluble, while those that do not dissolve are called insoluble. The chapter explains this through simple activities using common substances such as salt, sugar, sand and oil. These activities help students understand that different materials behave differently when mixed with water.
The chapter also introduces the concept of matter and explains that anything which has mass and occupies space is called matter. It discusses that all materials are forms of matter and possess these two basic properties. Through everyday examples and simple experiments, the chapter helps students understand how the properties of materials determine their uses and why selecting the right material is important in daily life.
Topics Covered in This Chapter
- What materials are and how one material can be used to make many objects, while one object can be made from many different materials.
- Why grouping and classifying materials is useful.
- Lustrous and non-lustrous materials.
- Hard and soft materials.
- Transparent, translucent and opaque materials.
- Soluble and insoluble materials.
- Gases dissolving in water.
- Why do some materials float in water while others sink?
- The concept of matter.
- Choosing the right material for a specific purpose based on its properties.
How to Prepare for This Chapter Using NCERT Solutions?
For Chapter 6, start by reading the NCERT textbook and understand how one material can be used to make many objects and how one object can be made from many different materials. Then walk around your home and classify the objects you see using the properties from the chapter. Decide whether a window glass is transparent, translucent or opaque, whether a doorknob is lustrous or non lustrous and whether an eraser is hard or soft.
Applying the concepts to real-life objects makes them much easier to understand and remember. If you have difficulty with any of the textbook questions, refer to the NCERT Solutions after attempting them on your own. Next, learn the different properties used to classify materials. For transparency, revise transparent, translucent and opaque materials with two examples of each. For solubility, revise soluble and insoluble materials with examples. For appearance, revise lustrous and non-lustrous materials with examples.
These classifications are asked as fill in the blanks, match the column and true or false questions in school exams. For application-based questions, you should always name the property first and then explain why it makes the material suitable for a particular use. For example, do not just write that cooking utensil handles are made of wood. Write that cooking utensil handles are made of wood because wood is a poor conductor of heat and does not become hot when the utensil is heated, making it safe to hold. For matter, remember that anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter. You should also understand how this definition applies to air. Air is matter because it occupies space and has mass. A filled balloon occupies more space than an empty one and also weighs more.
After completing the chapter, practice all the textbook questions yourself before checking the solutions. For Class 6 Materials Around Us MCQs, the most frequently asked questions are the definitions of lustrous and non-lustrous materials, the three categories of transparency with examples, soluble and insoluble materials with examples, the definition of matter and the reason for choosing specific materials for specific objects.
