NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science (Curiosity) Chapter 6: Materials Around Us (2026–27)

These Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 6 solutions cover Materials Around Us from the new NCF-2023 textbook (2026–27). The chapter teaches you what a material is, how objects are made from one or more materials, and how we classify materials by their properties — lustre, hardness, transparency, solubility, mass and volume — finally building up to the idea of matter. All 10 “Let us enhance our learning” questions are answered, with examples, reasons and a transparency comparison diagram.

Class: 6 Subject: Science Book: Curiosity Chapter: 6 Type: Materials & their properties Session: 2026–27
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Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 6 Solutions – Overview

Everything around us — a notebook, a pen, a tumbler, a brick — is made from some material such as paper, wood, cloth, glass, metal, plastic or clay. The chapter shows that a single object can be made from different materials and a single material can be used to make many objects, so we choose a material based on its properties and the purpose of the object. We learn to classify materials by appearance (lustrous or non-lustrous), by feel (hard or soft), by how much we can see through them (transparent, translucent, opaque), and by whether they dissolve in water (soluble or insoluble). Finally we meet two properties shared by all materials — mass (quantity of matter, measured in g and kg) and volume (space occupied, measured in L and mL) — which together define matter: anything that occupies space and has mass.

Key Concepts & Definitions

Material: any substance that is used to create an object — for example paper, wood, glass, metal, plastic or clay.

Classification: the method of arranging objects (or materials) into groups on the basis of a common property they share.

Lustrous and non-lustrous: materials with a shiny surface (usually metals such as iron, copper, gold) are lustrous; those without a shiny surface (paper, wood, rubber, jute) are non-lustrous.

Hard and soft: materials that are difficult to compress or scratch are hard; those that can be compressed or scratched easily are soft. These properties are relative — rubber is harder than sponge but softer than iron.

Transparent, translucent, opaque: through transparent materials (glass, water, air) things can be seen clearly; through translucent materials (butter paper, frosted glass) things are seen but not clearly; through opaque materials (wood, cardboard, metals) nothing can be seen.

Soluble and insoluble: materials such as sugar and salt are soluble in water: they dissolve to form a solution, although they are still present. Materials such as sand and sawdust do not dissolve. Spreading through water is not the same as dissolving.

Mass and volume: mass is the quantity of matter in an object (units: g, kg); volume is the space it occupies (units: L, mL; SI unit m3, where 1 m3 = 1000 L).

Matter: anything that occupies space and has mass. All materials around us — water, sand, pebbles, even air — are examples of matter.

“Let us enhance our learning” — NCERT Solutions

Questions 1–10 follow NCERT Curiosity Chapter 6, pages 119–121. Answers and the diagram are original ClearStudy teaching aids.

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.

ANSWERRecord how your own kitchen is organised. One possible system is to group dry grains, pulses and spices in labelled containers, keeping frequently used items within easy reach. Follow the storage instructions for perishable foods.Store older items in front so they are used first, and keep food dry or refrigerated as appropriate. Use food-safe containers that suit the contents; some items need protection from light. Explain why your proposed grouping is useful rather than claiming it suits every kitchen.

2. Unscramble the letters (Column I) and match with their properties (Column II).

ANSWER
Column I (scrambled)Unscrambled wordMatching property (Column II)
(i) T R E M A TMATTER(b) Occupies space and has mass
(ii) U L S B E L OSOLUBLE(d) Mixes completely in water
(iii) T N E R P A S N A R TTRANSPARENT(a) Objects can be seen clearly through it
(iv) E R U S T LLUSTRE(c) Shiny surface
So the matching is: (i) → (b), (ii) → (d), (iii) → (a), (iv) → (c).

3. The containers which are used to store materials in shops and at home are usually transparent. Give your reasons for this.

ANSWERTransparent containers let us identify the contents and estimate how much remains without opening the lid. This makes sorting and finding materials easier.They may reveal visible contamination, but looking through a jar does not prove that food is safe or fresh. Some foods are better stored in opaque containers to protect them from light.

4. 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.(ii) Aluminium foil has lustre while an eraser does not.(iii) Sugar dissolves in water whereas sawdust does not.(iv) An apple is a matter because it occupies no space and has mass.

ANSWER (i) False [F]. Correct statement: Wood is opaque while glass is transparent. (ii) True [T]. Aluminium foil is a metal and has lustre (shine), while an eraser (made of rubber) is non-lustrous. (iii) True [T]. Sugar is soluble and dissolves in water, whereas sawdust is insoluble and does not dissolve. (iv) False [F]. Correct statement: An apple is matter because it occupies space and has mass.

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 fulfil these properties the most?

(i) Hardness (does not bend or shake on sitting even after long use).(ii) Lightweight (easy to lift or to take from one place to another).(iii) Does not feel very cold when sitting during winters.(iv) Can be cleaned regularly and made to look new even after long use.

ANSWER(i) Hard and rigid: iron, stone and cement/concrete can provide firm seats; wood can also be suitable. Stability depends on the chair’s design, joints and condition, not hardness alone.(ii) Lightweight: bamboo and suitable plastics are useful examples, especially compared with solid stone or concrete chairs of similar size.(iii) Less cold to touch: wood, bamboo and plastic conduct heat away from the body more slowly than metal. Objects in the same room may have similar temperatures yet feel different.(iv) Easy to clean: smooth plastic or well-finished, protected metal can be wiped clean. Wear and rust protection also matter; cleaning cannot make every damaged chair new.

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(i) Food waste: a durable, leak-resistant plastic or suitable metal bin with a lid, easy to wash.(ii) Broken glass: a rigid, puncture-resistant, closable container, clearly labelled and handled by an adult. Thin bags are unsuitable; follow local collection instructions.(iii) Dry wastepaper: a cardboard box or a light reusable bin kept dry.Choose strength, resistance to puncture and leakage, ease of cleaning and suitable capacity. Insoluble is not the same as waterproof: cloth may not dissolve, yet water can pass through its pores.

7. 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 The correct option is (i) transparent, opaque. We can see clearly through air, so air is transparent. We cannot see at all through a wooden door, so wood is opaque.

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 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.

ANSWERX could be a sugar or salt crystal: it resists pressing and dissolves in enough water. It is hard in the classroom comparison and soluble.Y could be a soft rubber eraser: it changes shape under pressure and does not dissolve in water. It is soft relative to X and insoluble.These are possible examples, not unique identifications. The observations tell us two separate properties; they do not determine the exact material. Clay is a poorer example because it can disperse in water and change its form.

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) A shiny metal such as copper or aluminium. Lustre alone does not prove something is a metal.(b) A sponge or soft foam, which can be compressed easily.(c) A sugar or salt crystal: hard in this comparison and soluble in water.(d) A translucent material, such as frosted glass or butter paper. Objects can be seen through it, but not clearly. An opaque material would prevent us from seeing through it at all.(e) Air: it has mass and occupies space even though clean air is invisible.(ii) Example riddle: “I am a liquid you drink. I have mass, occupy space, and take the shape of my container. Who am I?” Answer: water. You may create a different riddle using properties from the chapter.
Clear glass gives a clear view, frosted glass gives a hazy view and wood blocks the view.
Q9(i)(d): the intended example is translucent, such as frosted glass. Tap to view at full size.

10. 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.

ANSWERTwo soluble/mixing pairs: (1) glucose in water; (2) vinegar in water. Use a small amount of glucose and sufficient water. Vinegar is already a solution and mixes uniformly with water. Honey in water is another acceptable example.Two insoluble pairs: (1) mustard oil in water, which separates into a layer after standing; (2) wheat flour in water, which makes a cloudy mixture rather than a true solution.Stirring may disperse flour or oil temporarily. A mixture that looks cloudy or separates is not evidence that the whole material has dissolved.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Watch out for these

  • Confusing object and material — a chair is an object; the wood or iron it is made from is the material.
  • Thinking all shiny things are metals — “all that glitters is not gold”; plastic or waxed surfaces can shine too without being metals.
  • Mixing up translucent and transparent — through translucent materials (butter paper, frosted glass) you see something but not clearly; through transparent ones you see clearly.
  • Believing a material that spreads out in water has dissolved — chalk powder and flour make the water cloudy but stay insoluble and settle down.
  • Saying air is not matter — air is invisible but has mass and occupies space, so it is matter.
  • Writing units wrongly — it is 7 kg (not “7 kgs”), and 500 mL (small m, capital L), with a space between number and unit.

Extra Practice Questions

These questions and MCQs are ClearStudy practice, separate from the NCERT exercise.

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What is a material? Give two examples.

ANSWERAny substance used to create an object is called a material. Examples: wood and glass (also paper, metal, plastic, clay).

Q2. Define classification. Why is it useful?

ANSWERClassification is arranging objects or materials into groups on the basis of a common property. It is useful because it helps us study things easily and observe patterns in their properties.

Q3. Differentiate between transparent and opaque materials with one example each.

ANSWERThrough transparent materials things can be seen clearly (example: glass). Through opaque materials nothing can be seen at all (example: wood).

Q4. Name two soluble and two insoluble materials in water.

ANSWERSoluble: sugar and salt. Insoluble: sand and chalk powder (also sawdust).

Q5. Why does a tumbler made of cloth not work for storing water?

ANSWERCloth cannot hold water — water leaks through it because cloth is porous. A tumbler must be made of a material that can hold water, such as glass, metal or plastic.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Explain, with examples, why different materials are chosen to make different objects.

ANSWERWe choose a material for an object depending on its properties and the purpose the object must serve. A cooking utensil is made of metal because metal is hard and can stand heat, while a paper-like material would burn; a tumbler is made of glass, metal or plastic because these can hold water, while cloth cannot. Sports balls use different materials — a hard cricket ball for one game and a softer, bouncy tennis ball for another — because each sport needs a different bounce and feel. The same object can even use several materials for different parts: a pen uses plastic, metal and ink. So matching the material’s properties (hardness, lustre, ability to hold water, bounce, etc.) to the object’s use is the key idea.

Q2. What is matter? Explain how mass and volume are linked to matter, with their units.

ANSWERAnything that occupies space and has mass is called matter. All materials around us — water, sand, pebbles, a cup, even air — are examples of matter. Two properties are shared by every material: mass, which gives the quantity of matter and is measured in gram (g) and kilogram (kg); and volume, which is the space occupied by matter and is measured in litre (L) and millilitre (mL) (the SI unit is the cubic metre, m3, with 1 m3 = 1000 L). An object that is heavier has more mass; one that takes up more space has greater volume. Because mass and volume are present in every material, they are used to define matter itself.

Q3. Describe an activity to find out which materials are soluble in water and which are not.

ANSWERTake five glass tumblers and fill each about two-thirds with water. Add a teaspoonful of a different material to each — sugar in the first, salt in the second, chalk powder in the third, sand in the fourth and sawdust in the fifth. Stir each tumbler well with a spoon and wait for a few minutes. We observe that small amounts of sugar and salt dissolve; their particles are still present in the solution even though we no longer see the crystals. The chalk powder, sand and sawdust do not disappear; they stay as separate particles and settle down or float, showing they are insoluble in water. This activity shows that some materials dissolve in water while others do not.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Any substance that is used to create an object is called a:

(a) machine    (b) material    (c) mixture    (d) metal

2. The method of arranging objects into groups is called:

(a) classification    (b) observation    (c) prediction    (d) measurement

3. Which of the following is a lustrous material?

(a) paper    (b) wood    (c) copper    (d) rubber

4. Through which of these materials can things be seen clearly?

(a) cardboard    (b) frosted glass    (c) clear glass    (d) wood

5. Butter paper and frosted glass are examples of materials that are:

(a) transparent    (b) translucent    (c) opaque    (d) lustrous

6. Which of the following is insoluble in water?

(a) sugar    (b) salt    (c) glucose    (d) sand

7. The space occupied by a material is called its:

(a) mass    (b) volume    (c) lustre    (d) hardness

8. The units used to measure mass are:

(a) litre and millilitre    (b) metre and centimetre    (c) gram and kilogram    (d) second and minute

9. Anything that occupies space and has mass is called:

(a) material    (b) matter    (c) object    (d) liquid

10. Which statement is correct?

(a) all shiny materials are metals    (b) rubber is harder than iron    (c) rubber is harder than sponge but softer than iron    (d) wood is transparent

Answer key: 1-(b), 2-(a), 3-(c), 4-(c), 5-(b), 6-(d), 7-(b), 8-(c), 9-(b), 10-(c).

For each Assertion–Reason question, choose: (A) Both true and the Reason correctly explains the Assertion; (B) Both true but the Reason is not the correct explanation; (C) Assertion true, Reason false; (D) Assertion false, Reason true.

A-R 1. Assertion: Metals such as iron and copper usually appear shiny.

Reason: Lustrous materials have a shiny surface and most metals are lustrous.

A-R 2. Assertion: We cannot see through a wooden door.

Reason: Wood is an opaque material.

A-R 3. Assertion: Sand is soluble in water.

Reason: Materials that settle down and do not disappear in water are insoluble.

A-R 4. Assertion: Air is matter.

Reason: Air has mass and occupies space even though we cannot see it.

A-R 5. Assertion: A tumbler can be made of cloth to store water for a long time.

Reason: The material used to make a tumbler should be capable of holding water.

Answer key: 1-(A), 2-(A), 3-(D), 4-(A), 5-(D).

Quick Revision Summary

  • A material is any substance used to make an object; one object can use many materials and one material can make many objects.
  • We choose a material from its properties and the object’s purpose; arranging things into groups by a common property is classification.
  • By appearance: lustrous (shiny, usually metals) vs non-lustrous; by feel: hard vs soft (relative properties).
  • By how much we see through them: transparent (clear), translucent (hazy), opaque (none).
  • By behaviour in water: soluble (dissolves, e.g. sugar, salt) vs insoluble (does not, e.g. sand, chalk powder).
  • Mass (g, kg) and volume (L, mL; SI m3, 1 m3 = 1000 L) are shared by all materials.
  • Matter = anything that occupies space and has mass; even air is matter.

Real-life Applications

Choosing materials by their properties is something we do every day. Shops and kitchens use transparent jars so we can see and check what is inside; raincoats and water bottles use insoluble, waterproof plastics; sports balls are made of different materials so each gives the right bounce; winter chairs are made of wood or plastic because they do not feel as cold as metal; and waste is separated into different bins (food waste, broken glass, paper) using containers whose strength and water-resistance suit the waste. Even the labels “500 mL” or “1 L” on bottles and “kg” on packets show how the ideas of volume and mass from this chapter are used in real life.

How to write a clear answer

Always separate the object from the material it is made of, and learn the property-pairs cleanly: lustrous/non-lustrous, hard/soft, transparent–translucent–opaque, soluble/insoluble. For “True/False” questions, do not just write F — rewrite the corrected statement. Remember air is matter, and write units correctly (7 kg, 500 mL) with a space between number and unit. Back up each answer with a clear example from the chapter (sugar dissolves, sand does not; wood is opaque, glass is transparent).

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 6 about?

Chapter 6, Materials Around Us, explains what a material is and how we classify materials by their properties — lustre, hardness, transparency and solubility — and introduces mass, volume and the idea of matter (anything that occupies space and has mass).

What is the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque materials?

Through transparent materials (glass, water, air) we can see clearly; through translucent materials (butter paper, frosted glass) we can see but not clearly; through opaque materials (wood, cardboard, metals) we cannot see at all.

Is air considered matter in this chapter?

Yes. Air has mass and occupies space, even though we cannot see it, so air is matter. Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter.

Are these Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 6 solutions free?

Yes. All solutions are free and follow the official NCERT Curiosity textbook for 2026–27.

Source: NCERT Curiosity Chapter 6 (official PDF).

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