CBSE Class 6 Science Ch 4 | Easy Study Guide

Chapter 4: Sorting Materials into Groups - Science Notes for CBSE Class 6

CBSE Class 6 Science

Chapter 4: Sorting Materials into Groups

Chapter Summary

  • Objects Around Us: Everything around us, like chairs, books, clothes, and food, are called objects.
  • Variety of Materials: These objects are made of different materials. For example, a chair can be made of wood, plastic, metal, or a combination.
  • Single or Multiple Materials: An object can be made of a single type of material (e.g., a glass tumbler) or from many materials (e.g., a pen made of plastic and metal).
  • One Material, Many Objects: The same material can be used to make many different objects. For instance, wood can be used to make chairs, tables, doors, beds, etc.
  • Grouping Materials: We group materials based on their similarities and differences in properties. This helps us to study their properties easily and for convenience in everyday life.
  • Properties of Materials: Materials have various properties that help us to sort them. Some key properties are:
    • Appearance: Materials can look different from each other. Some materials have a shiny appearance, called lustre (e.g., metals like iron, copper, gold). Other materials, like wood or plastic, do not shine. Freshly cut surfaces of metals usually show lustre.
    • Hardness: Some materials are hard (difficult to compress) while others are soft (can be easily compressed or scratched). For example, a stone is hard, while cotton is soft.
    • Solubility:
      • Soluble: Materials that completely disappear or dissolve in water are called soluble substances (e.g., sugar, salt).
      • Insoluble: Materials that do not mix with water and remain visible are called insoluble substances (e.g., sand, chalk powder).
      • Some liquids mix well with water (e.g., vinegar, lemon juice), while others do not and form separate layers (e.g., oil, kerosene).
      • Some gases are soluble in water (e.g., oxygen), while others are not.
    • Float or Sink: Some objects float on water (e.g., wood, dry leaves, plastic), while others sink to the bottom (e.g., stone, coin, iron nail). This property depends on their density.
    • Transparency: This property describes whether light can pass through a material.
      • Transparent: Materials through which objects can be seen clearly are called transparent (e.g., glass, clear water, air).
      • Translucent: Materials through which objects are visible, but not clearly, are called translucent (e.g., frosted glass, butter paper).
      • Opaque: Materials through which you cannot see at all are called opaque (e.g., wood, cardboard, metal, stone).
  • Reasons for Grouping: We group materials for convenience and to study their properties. Knowing the properties helps us choose the right material for a particular purpose (e.g., we don't make tumblers out of cloth because it can't hold liquid).

Questions and Answers

1. Name five objects which can be made from wood.

Answer: Five objects which can be made from wood are:

  • Chair
  • Table
  • Door
  • Bed
  • Boat

2. Select those objects from the following which shine: Glass bowl, plastic toy, steel spoon, cotton shirt.

Answer: The objects that shine are:

  • Glass bowl
  • Steel spoon

3. Match the objects given below with the materials from which they could be made. Remember, an object could be made from more than one material and a given material could be used for making many objects.

Objects Materials
Book Paper
Tumbler Glass, Plastic, Metal
Chair Wood, Plastic, Metal
Toy Plastic, Wood, Metal
Shoes Leather, Plastic, Cotton, Rubber

4. State whether the statements given below are ‘True’ or ‘False’.

  • (a) Stone is transparent, while glass is opaque.
  • (b) A notebook has lustre while eraser does not.
  • (c) Chalk dissolves in water.
  • (d) A piece of wood floats on water.
  • (e) Sugar does not dissolve in water.
  • (f) Oil mixes with water.
  • (g) Sand settles down in water.
  • (h) Vinegar dissolves in water.

Answer:

  • (a) Stone is transparent, while glass is opaque. - False (Stone is opaque, glass is transparent).
  • (b) A notebook has lustre while eraser does not. - False (Neither notebook nor eraser usually has lustre).
  • (c) Chalk dissolves in water. - False (Chalk is insoluble in water; it forms a suspension).
  • (d) A piece of wood floats on water. - True
  • (e) Sugar does not dissolve in water. - False (Sugar is soluble in water).
  • (f) Oil mixes with water. - False (Oil does not mix with water; it forms a separate layer).
  • (g) Sand settles down in water. - True
  • (h) Vinegar dissolves in water. - True

5. Given below are the names of some objects and materials: Water, Basketball, Orange, Sugar, Globe, Apple, Earthen pitcher. Group them as:

  • (a) Round shaped and other shapes
  • (b) Eatables and non-eatables

Answer:

(a) Round shaped and other shapes:

  • Round shaped: Basketball, Orange, Globe, Apple, Earthen pitcher (often round)
  • Other shapes: Water, Sugar (crystalline/granular, not a defined shape for a single grain)

(b) Eatables and non-eatables:

  • Eatables: Water, Orange, Sugar, Apple
  • Non-eatables: Basketball, Globe, Earthen pitcher

6. List all items known to you that float on water. Check and see if they will float on oil or kerosene.

Answer: Items that float on water (examples):

  • Wood piece
  • Dry leaves
  • Plastic bottle
  • Thermocol
  • Paper
  • Feather
Whether they float on oil or kerosene depends on the density of the item compared to the density of the oil/kerosene. Generally, if an object floats on water (which is denser than most oils/kerosene), it is likely to float on oil or kerosene as well, unless the object itself is denser than water but less dense than oil/kerosene (which is rarely the case for common floating objects). Most objects that float on water are less dense than water, and since oil and kerosene are less dense than water, these objects will also float on oil or kerosene. For example, a piece of wood will float on water, oil, and kerosene.

7. Find the odd one out from the following:

  • (a) Chair, Bed, Table, Baby, Cupboard
  • (b) Rose, Jasmine, Boat, Marigold, Lotus
  • (c) Aluminium, Iron, Copper, Silver, Sand
  • (d) Sugar, Salt, Sand, Copper sulphate

Answer:

  • (a) Chair, Bed, Table, Baby, Cupboard - Baby (All others are furniture items; Baby is a living being).
  • (b) Rose, Jasmine, Boat, Marigold, Lotus - Boat (All others are flowers; Boat is a means of transport/object).
  • (c) Aluminium, Iron, Copper, Silver, Sand - Sand (All others are metals; Sand is a non-metal/material composed of mineral grains).
  • (d) Sugar, Salt, Sand, Copper sulphate - Sand (All others are soluble in water; Sand is insoluble in water).

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