NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 6 Materials Around Us provide clear, simple, and accurate answers to help students understand the different types of materials and their uses in daily life.
This chapter explains how materials can be grouped based on their properties like appearance, hardness, solubility, transparency, and whether they float or sink in water. These solutions include real-life examples and easy explanations that make it easier for Class 6 students to observe and classify materials around them.
The solutions are based on the latest NCERT syllabus and exam guidelines, making them useful for revision, homework, and strengthening the basics of material science.
The chapter "Materials Around Us" introduces students to the world of materials that make up the things we use in daily life. From metal spoons and glass bottles to wooden tables and cotton clothes, we are surrounded by objects made from different materials.
In this chapter, students explore:
What objects are made of
Types of materials like wood, metal, plastic, glass, and fabric
Properties of materials such as hardness, transparency, floatation, and solubility
How materials are chosen for making specific items
Through interesting activities and observations, learners understand how materials are used based on their properties. These NCERT Solutions explain every concept and activity in simple words, helping students revise better and answer confidently in exams.
Check below for complete and accurate solutions to all the questions from Chapter 6. These answers are designed to help you revise quickly and prepare confidently for your class tests and school exams.
Question 1. Would it be a good idea to use paper-like materials for making cooking utensils? (Page 104)
Answer: No, paper-like materials are not suitable for making cooking utensils. They can catch fire easily and cannot handle high heat. Also, food liquids can soak into them, making them useless for cooking.
Question 2. Are all lustrous materials metals? (Page 107)
Answer: No, not all shiny substances are metals. Some non-metals can appear shiny if they are polished or coated with certain materials like plastic or wax.
Question 3. Is water transparent? Can it be made opaque? (Page 110)
Answer: Yes, clean water is transparent. But it can be made opaque by adding materials like mud or chalk powder, which block light from passing through.
Question 4. Does everything you put in water disappear? (Page 111)
Answer: No, only substances that are soluble in water will dissolve. Items like sand or oil do not disappear when added to water.
Question 5. Are there any properties which can be shown by all materials? If yes, what are those? (Page 115)
Answer: Yes, all materials have mass and take up space. These are basic properties common to all substances.
Let Us Enhance Our Learning (pages 119-121)
Question 1. 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 sorted like this:
Pulses (moong dal, chana dal, urad dal, etc.) in one group
Cereals (rice, wheat flour, maize flour, etc.) in another
Spices (turmeric, cumin, pepper, etc.) in one section
Oils and ghee together
Jams and squashes in another section
Question 2. Unscramble the letters (Column I) and match with their properties (Column II).
Answer:
Column I |
Column II |
(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. |
Question 3. The containers which are used to store materials in shops and at home are usually transparent. Give your reasons for this.
Answer: Containers used for storing materials at shops and homes are usually transparent so that the contents inside can be easily seen. This helps in quickly identifying the materials without opening the containers.
Question 4. State whether the statements given below are True [T] or False [F], Correct the False statements).
(i) Wood is translucent while glass is opaque.
Answer: False
Wood is opaque while glass is transparent.
(ii) Aluminium foil has lustre while an eraser does not.
Answer:True
(iii) Sugar dissolves in water whereas sawdust does not.
Answer: True
(iv) An apple is a matter because it occupies no space and has mass.
Answer: False
An apple is a matter because it occupies space and has mass.
Question 5. 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 fulfill these properties the most?
Answer: (i) Hardness – Iron, cement, and stones are very hard and do not bend easily.
(ii) Lightweight – Plastic and bamboo are light, so they are easy to move.
(iii) Does not feel cold in winters – Wood and bamboo feel warmer and are more comfortable.
(iv) Easy to clean and stays new – Plastic, iron, cement, and stones can be cleaned easily and look new for a long time.
Question 6. 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: We can use plastic containers for all three types of waste.
For food waste, the container should be leak-proof and should not react with food.
For broken glass, the container should be strong and hard so that glass pieces do not cut through.
For wastepaper, the container should be light but strong enough to hold papers.
Using different colored containers helps to separate biodegradable, hazardous, and recyclable waste.
Question 7. Air is all around us but does not hinder u‘s 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
Question 8. 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 shapk 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: X can be sugar crystal and Y can be rubber block.
The material X is hard.
The material Y is soft.
Question 9. (i) Who am I? Identify me on the basis of the given properties.
(a) I have lustre.
(b) I can be easily compressed.
(c) I am hard and soluble in water.
(d) You cannot see clearly through me.
(e) I have mass and volume but you cannot see me.
(ii) Make your own Who am I?’
Answer:
(i) (a) steel
(b) rubber
(c) sugar
(d) cardboard or plywood
(e) air
(ii) (a) You can see clearly through me
(b) I am soft
(c) I am non-lustrous
(d) I am liquid and insoluble in water
(e) I cannot be compressed easily.
Activity 6.1: Let Us Identify (Page 102)
Make a list of objects you see around and write the names of the materials they are made of.
Answer:
Table: Identify Materials
I Observe (Objects) |
Materials They Are Made Up Of |
1. Books |
Paper |
2. Table |
Wood |
3. Tumbler |
Glass |
4. Notebook |
Paper |
5. Pen |
Plastic, metal, and ink |
6. Pencil |
Wood and carbon (graphite) |
7. Scale |
Plastic |
8. Sharpener |
Plastic and metal |
9. Chair |
Wood |
10. Shirt |
Cloth and plastic (buttons) |
Activity 6.2: Let us group
Group the objects shown in Fig. 6.1 based on any commo property, such as shape, colour, hardness, softness, shine,
dullness or materials they are made up of.
Answer:
Property used: Material they are made up of
Spoon
Steel glass
Lock
Keys
Hole punch
Compass
Safety pin
Scale
Pen cap
Ball (partly plastic)
Pencil box
Plastic cup
Some parts of the sharpener
Toy spinning wheel (charkha)
Ice-cream stick
Wooden part of the diya (may be clay too)
Notebooks
Colored paper
Pencil
Eraser cover
Cardboard piece
Labels
Objects made of Glass:
Magnifying glass
Glass tumbler
Eraser
Rubber band
Ball (partly rubber)
Diya
Rock/Stone
Plant (pot may be plastic or clay)
1. Which property did you use to group the objects in Activity 6.2?
I used the material they are made up of (like metal, plastic, wood, paper, glass, rubber, etc.) to group the objects.
2. Did your friends group objects based on similar properties?
Some of my friends grouped them using shape, shine, or hardness, while others also used materials like I did.
3. What did you learn from this activity?
I learned that objects around us are made from different materials, and we can group them based on common properties like material, color, shape, hardness, or shine. Grouping helps us to understand things better and compare them easily.
Activity 6.3: Let us think (Page 104)
Let us think what materials we can use to make a tumbler. Fill in the names of the materials in the spaces provided in Fig. 6.2. (See Textbook, Page 104)
Answer: To make a tumbler, the material used should be able to hold liquids like water, milk, or juice without leaking. It should be non-porous, which means it should not allow liquid to pass through.
Some materials that can be used to make a tumbler are:
Glass
Plastic
Stainless steel (metal)
Aluminum
Copper
We cannot use materials like cloth, paper, or sponge because they are porous and will leak or get soaked when filled with liquid.
Conclusion: A tumbler must be made of materials that can hold liquids without absorbing or leaking them. So, hard, non-porous, and waterproof materials are suitable for making tumblers.
Activity 6.4: Let us Explore (Page 105)
Fig. illustrates a variety of balls that are of the same size but made up of different materials.
Answer:
Table: Bouncing Level of the Balls
Ball Type |
Bounce (High, Medium, or Low) |
Tennis Ball |
High |
Cricket Ball |
Low |
Hand Exercise Ball |
Medium |
Rubber Ball (Any Other) |
Medium |
Observation:
Balls made of different materials bounce to different heights. For example:
The tennis ball bounces the highest.
The cricket ball bounces the least.
The hand exercise ball and rubber ball show medium bounce.
Activity 6.5: Let us Observe (Page 107)
Hold the objects given in Table 6.3 with your hands. Feel whether the objects are hard or soft. Find out the materials they are made up of. Enter your observations in Table 6.3.
Answer:
Objective: To observe whether given objects are hard or soft and to identify the materials they are made from.
Materials that can be easily pressed or scratched are considered soft, while those that cannot be easily pressed or scratched are considered hard.
Table: Classification of Objects as Hard or Soft
Objects |
Hard/Soft |
Materials |
1. Brick |
Hard |
Baked clay |
2. Water bottle |
Hard |
Plastic |
3. Pillow |
Soft |
Cloth and cotton |
4. Tumbler |
Hard |
Glass |
5. Table |
Hard |
Wood |
6. Sweater |
Soft |
Wool |
7. Spoon |
Hard |
Steel |
8. Pen |
Hard |
Plastic, metal, and ink |
9. Hand exercise ball |
Soft |
Rubber |
Conclusion: Objects can be hard or soft depending on the type of material they are made of. Hard objects are strong and cannot be pressed easily, while soft objects can be pressed or squeezed with little effort.
Activity 6.6: Let us Classify (Page 109)
Classify the following objects as transparent, translucent or opaque in Table.
Answer:
Objective: To classify objects based on how much light they allow to pass through — as transparent, translucent, or opaque.
Transparent materials let light pass through clearly.
Translucent materials allow some light but not clear images.
Opaque materials do not allow any light to pass through.
Table: Classification of Objects
Transparent |
Translucent |
Opaque |
Glass tumbler |
Butter paper |
Eraser |
Window glass |
Frosted glass |
Wooden board |
Conclusion: Objects can be grouped based on their ability to allow light to pass through. This property helps in deciding how materials are used — for example, transparent materials for windows, opaque for doors, and translucent for lampshades.
Activity 6.7: Let us explore
Collect small amounts of sugar, salt, chalk powder, sand and sawdust.
Take five glass tumblers and fill them about two-third with water.
Put a teaspoonful of sugar in the first glass tumbler, saltin the second one, chalk powder in the third, sand in the fourth and sawdust in the fifth glass tumbler.
On stirring, predict what will happen in each case.
Use a spoon to stir well the contents of each glass tumbler.
Wait for a few minutes and watch what happens.
Write down your observations in Table 6.
Answer:
Table 6.5 – Prediction and Observation
Substance |
Prediction: Will disappear in water / Will not disappear in water |
Observation: Disappears in water / Does not disappear in water |
Sugar |
Will disappear in water |
Disappears in water |
Salt |
Will disappear in water |
Disappears in water |
Chalk powder |
Will not disappear in water |
Does not disappear in water (settles at bottom) |
Sand |
Will not disappear in water |
Does not disappear in water (settles at bottom) |
Sawdust |
Will not disappear in water |
Does not disappear in water (floats on water) |
Any other (e.g., oil) |
Will not disappear in water |
Does not disappear in water (floats on water) |
Students can download the NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 6 Materials Around Us in PDF format from the link provided below. These solutions are prepared to help learners understand the wide variety of materials around them, how they are used, and why different materials have different properties. Each activity and question is answered clearly to support better learning and quick revision before exams.
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Here are some important benefits of referring to these NCERT solutions:
Simple and clear language is used to explain all answers, making it easy for Class 6 students to grasp scientific ideas like transparency, hardness, solubility, and object classification.
Aligned with the latest NCERT curriculum, these solutions follow the current syllabus and textbook pattern, making them reliable for daily studies and exam preparation.
Covers all textbook questions and activities, including observation-based tasks, classification tables, and real-life examples that connect classroom learning to everyday objects.
Builds scientific observation skills by encouraging students to explore materials around them through touch, sight, and experiments.
Helpful for concept-based and practical questions, supporting hands-on learning and a strong science foundation with detailed explanations and easy-to-follow formats.