The chapter, Methods of Separation in Everyday Life, opens with Malli and his sister Valli, who are excited about their summer vacation. Their first stop is their grandmother's house in Haryana, surrounded by large fields where the harvest season is underway. Their Nani, Mami and other community members are busy separating stones and husk from grain by hand and when Malli and Valli ask why, their grandmother explains simply: so that the grains are fit for cooking. From this simple question, the chapter introduces its core concept: methods of separation are used to remove harmful or unwanted components, to obtain useful substances in a purer form, to make food safe for eating or to recover valuable materials from waste.
Through Malli and Valli's journey across India, visiting Haryana, Ahmedabad, Puducherry and Shillong, the chapter introduces the different methods of separation used in everyday life. NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science for this chapter cover all in-text, activity-based and back-exercise questions, helping CBSE Board Class 6 students write accurate and structured answers to every type of question asked in school exams.
Download NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 9 PDF
Download the NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 9 Methods of Separation in Everyday Life PDF for free and study anytime, anywhere. These solutions provide accurate, step-by-step answers to all NCERT exercise questions in simple language. Use this PDF to revise important concepts such as handpicking, threshing, winnowing, sieving, filtration, evaporation, decantation, churning and magnetic separation while preparing confidently for your school exams.
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NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 9 Methods of Seperation in Everyday life
NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Chapter 9 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. What purpose does handpicking serve in the process of separation?
(i) Filtration
(ii) Sorting
(iii) Evaporation
(iv) Decantation
Answer: (ii) Sorting
Explanation: Handpicking is used to sort out unwanted materials such as stones, husk or damaged grains from food grains. It is suitable when the impurities are few and can be picked out by hand.
Q2. Which of the following substances are commonly separated using the churning method?
(i) Oil from water
(ii) Sand from water
(iii) Cream from milk
(iv) Oxygen from air
Answer: (iii) Cream from milk
Explanation: Churning is commonly used to separate cream from milk and butter from curd because the lighter component rises to the top and can be collected easily.
Q3. Which factor is usually essential for the filtration?
(i) Apparatus size
(ii) Presence of air
(iii) Pore size
(iv) Temperature of the mixture
Answer: (iii) Pore size
Explanation: Filtration works because the filter has tiny pores. These pores allow the liquid to pass through while trapping the insoluble solid particles.
Q4. State with reason(s) whether the following statements are True [T] or False [F]. Also, correct the False statement(s).
(i) Salt can be separated from salt solution by keeping it under the Sun.
Answer: True (T)
Reason: Water evaporates in sunlight, leaving the salt behind.
(ii) Handpicking should be used only when the quantity of one component is less.
Answer: True (T)
Reason: Handpicking is useful only when the unwanted particles are present in a small quantity and are easy to remove by hand.
(iii) A mixture of puffed rice and rice grains can be separated by threshing.
Answer: False (F)
Correct Statement: A mixture of puffed rice and rice grains can be separated by handpicking because the two materials differ in size and appearance.
(iv) A mixture of mustard oil and lemon water can be separated by decantation.
Answer: True (T)
Reason: Mustard oil and lemon water do not mix. Oil floats on the surface and can be separated by carefully pouring off one layer.
(v) Sieving is used to separate a mixture of rice flour and water.
Answer: False (F)
Correct Statement: A mixture of rice flour and water is separated by filtration, not by sieving.
Q5. Match the mixtures in Column I with their method of separation in Column II.
| Column I | Column II |
|---|---|
| (i) Gram flour mixed with black gram | (d) Sieving |
| (ii) Chalk powder mixed with water | (e) Filtration |
| (iii) Corn mixed with potatoes | (a) Handpicking |
| (iv) Iron powder mixed with sawdust | (b) Magnetic separation |
| (v) Oil mixed with water | (c) Decantation |
Answer:
| Column I | Correct Match |
|---|---|
| (i) Gram flour mixed with black gram | (d) Sieving |
| (ii) Chalk powder mixed with water | (e) Filtration |
| (iii) Corn mixed with potatoes | (a) Handpicking |
| (iv) Iron powder mixed with sawdust | (b) Magnetic separation |
| (v) Oil mixed with water | (c) Decantation |
Q6. In what situations would you use decantation instead of filtration to separate solids from liquids?
Answer: Decantation is used when the solid particles are heavier than the liquid and settle at the bottom after some time.
For example, if sand is mixed with water, we first allow the sand to settle. Then, the clear water is carefully poured into another container without disturbing the sand. This process is called decantation.
It is preferred when the solid settles easily and filtration is not immediately required.
Q7. Can you relate the presence of nasal hair to any separation process?
Answer: Yes. The function of nasal hair is similar to the process of filtration.
As we breathe, nasal hair traps dust, pollen and other tiny particles present in the air. This prevents many unwanted particles from entering our lungs and helps us breathe cleaner air.
Q8. During the COVID-19 pandemic, all of us wore masks. Generally, what material are they made of? What is the role of these masks?
Answer: Most masks are made of layers of non-woven fabric or special filter material.
The mask acts like a filter. It traps dust, germs and tiny droplets carrying viruses, reducing the chances of diseases spreading from one person to another.
Masks help protect both the person wearing them and the people nearby.
Q9. A mixture containing potatoes, salt and sawdust has been given to you. Outline a stepwise procedure for separating each component from this mixture.
Answer: The mixture can be separated using the following steps:
1. Handpick the potato pieces because they are large and can be easily separated.
2. Add water to the remaining mixture of salt and sawdust.
3. The salt dissolves in water, while the sawdust floats on the surface.
4. Remove the sawdust by decantation or filtration.
5. Heat the salt solution to evaporate the water.
6. The salt is left behind after all the water evaporates.
This process separates all the components of the mixture.
Q10. Read the following story titled 'Intelligent Leela' and tick the most appropriate options. Provide a suitable title of your choice for the paragraph.
Leela was working in the farm with her father when she realised that they left their drinking water at home. Before her father felt thirsty/hungry, she went to the nearby pond to fetch some water/grains. After obtaining some water in the container, she noticed that the water was muddy and fit/unfit for drinking. To purify the water, she kept it for some time and then she filtered/ churned the muddy water using a piece of paper/muslin cloth. Leela, then, cooled/boiled the water for about 10 minutes in a covered pan. After cooling/boiling, she filtered/churned it again and made it fit/unfit for drinking. She served this water to her father while having food, who blessed her and appreciated her efforts.
Answer: Suitable Title: Leela Makes Water Safe to Drink.
Correct Options:
- thirsty
- water
- unfit
- filtered
- muslin cloth
- boiled
- cooling
- fit
Completed Story:
Leela was working in the farm with her father when she realised that they left their drinking water at home. Before her father felt thirsty, she went to the nearby pond to fetch some water. After obtaining some water in the container, she noticed that the water was muddy and unfit for drinking. To purify the water, she kept it for some time and then she filtered the muddy water using a piece of muslin cloth. Leela then boiled the water for about 10 minutes in a covered pan. After cooling, she made it fit for drinking and served it to her father, who appreciated her efforts.
Class 6 Science Chapter 9 Overview
A mixture is a combination of two or more substances that are physically mixed but not chemically combined. The chapter explains that we separate substances to remove harmful or unwanted components, to obtain useful components, to improve the quality of a substance and to make it safe for use or consumption. It discusses the idea that separation of substances is an important process used in daily life as well as in science to obtain pure materials and useful products from mixtures. The chapter introduces different methods of separation used for different types of mixtures. It begins with handpicking, which is one of the simplest methods of separation.
It involves removing unwanted materials like stones or husk from grains by hand. This method is used when impurities are present in small quantities and the unwanted particles are large enough to be easily picked out. The chapter then explains threshing as the process in which stalks are beaten to separate grains from them. Today, threshing machines called threshers are used, which can perform both threshing and winnowing together. Winnowing is the process of separating lighter husk particles from heavier grains using wind or air. When the mixture is dropped from a height, the lighter husk is blown away while the heavier grains fall straight down.
The chapter also explains sieving as a method used to separate solids based on differences in particle size using a sieve. Different sieves are used depending on the size of particles to be separated. Evaporation is explained as the process in which a liquid changes into vapour. It is used to separate a solid dissolved in a liquid. For example, salt is obtained from seawater by evaporation in shallow pits, where water evaporates and salt is left behind.
The chapter also discusses sedimentation and decantation, where sedimentation is the process in which heavier insoluble particles settle at the bottom of a liquid and decantation is the process of carefully pouring out the clear liquid without disturbing the settled particles. These two processes always work together, with sedimentation occurring first and decantation following it. Filtration is a method used to separate insoluble solid particles from a liquid using a filter. It is used in tea strainers to separate tea leaves, muslin cloth for filtering muddy water and filter paper in laboratories. However, it cannot separate dissolved substances like sugar in water because the solution passes through the filter.
The chapter also explains churning as a process in which the lighter component floats on top of the liquid and is separated. It is commonly used to separate cream from milk and butter from curd. At last, the chapter discusses magnetic separation as the process of separating magnetic substances from non-magnetic substances using a magnet. Iron filings can be separated from mixtures like sand or sulphur using this method. The chapter explains that some mixtures require multiple methods of separation in sequence. For example, in a mixture of iron nails, salt, oil and water, a magnet is first used to remove the iron nails. Then oil is separated from water by decantation. Finally, the salt solution is heated so that water evaporates, leaving salt behind.
Topics Covered in This Chapter
- The concept of a mixture and why separating its components is necessary.
- Reasons for separating substances.
- Methods of separation: handpicking, threshing, winnowing, sieving, evaporation, sedimentation, decantation, filtration, churning and magnetic separation.
- The limitation of filtration.
- Multi-step separation.
How to Prepare for This Chapter Using NCERT Solutions?
Chapter 9 discusses ten methods of separation and the best way to prepare is to group them by the property they are based on rather than memorizing each one. Methods based on size difference: sieving. Weight difference: winnowing. Visible differences: handpicking. Magnetic behaviour: magnetic separation. An insoluble solid in a liquid: sedimentation, decantation and filtration. A dissolved solid in a liquid: evaporation. Density difference within a liquid: churning.
Next, learn that filtration cannot separate a dissolved substance from a liquid. Sugar dissolved in water will pass straight through filter paper along with the water because there are no solid particles to trap. Instead, evaporation is the correct method for separating dissolved solids. This concept often appears as a true or false question, a fill in the blank or a reasoning question in school exams. For the difference between sedimentation and decantation, you must always remember that they are two steps of the same process, not two separate methods. Sedimentation is the process of waiting for particles to settle and decantation is the process of pouring off the clear liquid above them.
Neither one works without the other and questions that ask you to describe how to separate muddy water expect you to mention both steps in the correct order, followed by filtration if needed. For multi-step separation, always start by identifying the property that makes each component different from the others. Then choose the methods that use those differences and arrange them in the correct order.
Remove the magnetic component first, if any, since a magnet can be used without disturbing the rest of the mixture. Separate floating liquids next by decantation. Recover dissolved solids last by evaporation, since that step requires the most effort and should only be done once the other components have already been removed.
After completing the chapter, practice all NCERT textbook questions yourself before checking the solutions. For Class 6 Methods of Separation in Everyday Life MCQs, the most frequently asked questions are the definition and example of each method, the property each method is based on, the limitation of filtration for dissolved solids, the sequence of sedimentation followed by decantation, the difference between threshing and winnowing and multi-step separation.
