NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science (Curiosity) Chapter 1: The Wonderful World of Science

These Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 1 solutions cover The Wonderful World of Science from the new NCF-2023 textbook (2026–27). Chapter 1 is the very first chapter of the Middle Stage: it welcomes you to the subject Science, explains what science really is, and shows how the scientific method — observe, question, guess, test and analyse — helps us find answers, rather than teaching a single science topic.

Class: 6 Subject: Science Book: Curiosity Chapter: 1 Type: Introductory (Activities & in-text prompts) Session: 2026–27
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Note: Chapter 1 of Curiosity is an introductory chapter and does not have an end-of-chapter “Let Us Enhance Our Learning” exercise. Its questions are the in-text “Let us think and write” activities (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) and the page-margin “wonder” prompts, all reproduced and answered below.

Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 1 Solutions – Overview

Chapter 1 of Curiosity, The Wonderful World of Science, opens the Middle Stage of school and introduces a brand-new subject: Science. It tells us that science is a way of thinking, observing and doing things to understand the world and uncover the secrets of the universe. The most important quality a young scientist needs is curiosity — which is exactly where the name of the book comes from. The chapter compares science to a giant, never-ending jigsaw puzzle in which every discovery adds a new piece and raises fresh questions. It previews the journey ahead — life on Earth, food, water, heat and cold, materials, separation, and even things beyond Earth like the Sun, Moon and stars — and shows, through the simple example of a pen that stops writing, how we all already use the scientific method in daily life.

Key Concepts & Definitions

Science: a way of thinking, observing and doing things to understand the world we live in and to uncover the secrets of the universe.

Curiosity: the eagerness to know how and why things happen; it is the spark that makes us ask questions and explore — and it gives the book its name.

Scientific method: a step-by-step process for finding answers — observe, wonder/question, guess a possible answer, test the guess, and analyse the results.

Observation: noticing something interesting or puzzling around us carefully and keenly.

Guess (hypothesis): a possible answer to a question that we then check by experiment or further observation.

Scientist: a person who follows the scientific method to solve problems or discover new things — and anyone who follows this method, like a cook, an electrician or a cycle-repair person, is working like a scientist.

Activities & In-text Questions — Answers

The questions below are reproduced from the chapter exactly as printed; the answers are model responses, since most of these are open “write your own” prompts. Accept any sincere, correct response of your own.

Activity 1.1: Let us think and write

Write about a similar problem that you tried to solve. What steps did you take?

ANSWER Model answer: Once my torch stopped giving light. I observed the problem and wondered, “Why is the torch not working?” I made a guess — perhaps the cells (batteries) had run down. To test this guess, I replaced the old cells with new ones. The torch glowed again, so my guess was correct. If new cells had not worked, I would have made another guess (maybe the bulb was fused) and tested that too. The steps I took — observe, question, guess, test, analyse — are exactly the steps of the scientific method. (Your own example is accepted.)

Activity 1.2: Let us think and write

Describe a daily life situation where you think someone was following a scientific method.

ANSWER Model answer: My mother noticed (observed) that the milk had boiled over. She wondered why it happened so quickly. She guessed that the flame was too high. To test this, the next time she heated the milk on a low flame and stayed nearby. The milk did not spill. By analysing the result, she concluded that a high flame was the reason — this is the scientific method used in everyday cooking. Other good examples are a cycle-repair person finding where air leaks from a flat tyre, or an electrician checking whether a fault is in the bulb or the switch. (Your own example is accepted.)

Activity 1.3: Let us think and write

If you have to ask “Why?” about something, what would you ask about?

ANSWER Model answer: I would ask, “Why does the sky look blue during the day but turns orange and red at sunset?” Any genuine, curious “Why?” question of your own is correct.

Try to write down how you would attempt to find an answer to your question.

ANSWER Model answer: First I would observe the sky carefully at different times of the day and note the colours. Then I would guess a possible reason — for example, sunlight may change as it passes through the air. I would test my idea by reading from a trusted book, doing a simple experiment (such as shining light through water with a little milk in it), and asking my teacher or friends, because science is rarely done alone. Finally I would analyse what I found to see if it answers my question. (Your own method is accepted.)

“Wonder” Prompts from the Chapter

These are the curiosity-sparking questions printed in the page margins and the running text. The answers below are model explanations a Grade 6 student could give.

Q. What is Science?

ANSWER Science is a way of thinking, observing and doing things to understand the world we live in and to uncover the secrets of the universe. It is like a big adventure in which we ask questions, explore the world and try to find out how things work — and the most important thing we need for it is curiosity.

Q. Why do the stars shine, and how does a flower know when to open?

ANSWER These are examples of the many mysteries that science helps us unravel. We may not know every answer in Grade 6, but by observing carefully, asking questions and testing our guesses we slowly understand such wonders. The chapter uses them to show that science is everywhere — from the night sky to a blooming flower.

Q. What will we explore with the help of this book?

ANSWER We will begin with our own planet, Earth — the only planet we know that supports life — and the amazing variety of plants and animals on it. We will explore food (what our dishes are made of), water (why it rains and how it freezes and boils), heat and cold (how to find out how hot something is), and the many materials around us and how to separate them. We will not stop at Earth — we will also ask questions about things beyond, such as the Sun, the Moon and the millions of stars in the sky.

Q. How can we try to find answers to our questions on our own?

ANSWER We can follow the scientific method: observe something interesting, wonder and frame a question, make a guess about the answer, and then test that guess through experiments or more observations. The chapter’s example of a pen that stops writing — first guessing the ink finished, checking the refill, then guessing the ink dried up — shows exactly how we already do this. And if we cannot find an answer alone, we can ask friends and teachers, because science is rarely done alone and is more fun together.

The Scientific Method — Step by Step

The chapter explains that science is not just memorising facts or doing experiments; it is a step-by-step process. The five steps, in order, are:

  • Observe — we notice something interesting or something we do not understand.
  • Wonder / question — this makes us think of a question about it.
  • Guess — we guess a possible answer to that question.
  • Test — we test this guess through experiments or more observations.
  • Analyse — we look at the results to see if they actually answer our question.

Example: pen stops writing → “Why?” → guess “ink finished” → open pen and check refill → if not empty, guess again (“ink dried up”) and test once more.

Common Misconceptions to Avoid

Watch out for these

  • Thinking science only happens in a laboratory — science is everywhere, from the kitchen to the playground to outer space.
  • Believing science is only memorising facts and figures — it is mainly a step-by-step way of finding answers.
  • Thinking only “scientists” do science — anyone who follows the scientific method, like a cook or an electrician, is working like a scientist.
  • Expecting to find every answer in Grade 6 — this is a journey of five years and beyond; new questions keep arising.
  • Skipping the “test” step — a guess is not an answer until we check it by experiment or observation.
  • Thinking science must be done alone — scientists work together in teams, and so can you.

Extra Practice Questions

Very Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. What is science, in one line?

ANSWERScience is a way of thinking, observing and doing things to understand the world and uncover the secrets of the universe.

Q2. From which quality does the book get its name “Curiosity”?

ANSWERFrom curiosity — the eagerness to ask questions and explore.

Q3. Name the first step of the scientific method.

ANSWERObservation (observing something interesting or puzzling).

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Why is science compared to a giant, never-ending jigsaw puzzle?

ANSWERBecause every new discovery adds another piece to the puzzle, and there is no limit to what we can find out. Each new piece of knowledge leads to more questions and more things to discover. Sometimes a piece turns out to be in the wrong place and has to be moved — that is, new discoveries change our understanding of the world.

Q2. How does the example of a pen that stops writing show the scientific method?

ANSWERWe observe that the pen stopped and ask “Why?” We guess that the ink finished, then test it by opening the pen and checking the refill. If the ink is not finished, we make a new guess (the ink may have dried up) and test that too. This cycle of observing, questioning, guessing, testing and analysing is exactly the scientific method.

Long Answer Type Question

Q1. “Anyone who follows the scientific method is working like a scientist.” Explain this statement with examples.

ANSWERA scientist is a person who follows the scientific method — observing, questioning, guessing, testing and analysing — to solve problems or discover new things. The chapter shows that we all do this in daily life, often without realising it. A person cooking food may wonder why the dal spilled out of the cooker and guess there was too much water, then try less water next time. A cycle-repair person trying to find where the air leaked from a flat tyre dips the tube in water and watches for bubbles. An electrician checking why a bulb is not glowing tests whether the fault is in the bulb or the switch. In every case the person asks a question and tries to find the answer step by step. Therefore, whenever we ask questions and find out answers in a systematic way, we are all, in a way, scientists. Learning science simply sharpens this natural ability so we can solve bigger problems and unravel greater mysteries of the universe.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. Science is best described as:

(a) only memorising facts    (b) a way of thinking, observing and doing things to understand the world    (c) reading without questions    (d) copying answers

2. The book is named “Curiosity” because the most important quality for science is:

(a) memory    (b) speed    (c) curiosity    (d) strength

3. Which is the correct order of the scientific method?

(a) guess → observe → test    (b) observe → question → guess → test → analyse    (c) test → analyse → observe    (d) analyse → guess → observe

4. In the pen example, the first guess for why the pen stopped writing was that:

(a) the nib broke    (b) the ink finished    (c) the paper was wet    (d) the cap was lost

5. Which planet does the book say we will start exploring first?

(a) Mars    (b) the Moon    (c) Earth    (d) Jupiter

6. Science is compared in the chapter to a:

(a) closed box    (b) giant never-ending jigsaw puzzle    (c) finished painting    (d) short story

7. According to the chapter, a scientist is:

(a) only a person in a lab coat    (b) anyone who follows the scientific method    (c) someone who never asks questions    (d) a person who only reads books

8. To test a guess, we should:

(a) ignore it    (b) do experiments or make more observations    (c) change the question    (d) stop working

9. The chapter says science is rarely done:

(a) in teams    (b) alone    (c) with curiosity    (d) by observation

10. “To be a wise person, you must be a ___ person.”

(a) “whys”    (b) “quiet”    (c) “fast”    (d) “strong”

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

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: Curiosity is the most important quality for learning science.

Reason: Curiosity makes us observe our surroundings keenly and start asking how and why.

A-R 2. Assertion: Science can be seen everywhere around us.

Reason: Some groundbreaking discoveries have come from unexpected places, from the kitchen to outer space.

A-R 3. Assertion: A guess by itself is the final answer to a scientific question.

Reason: We must test a guess through experiments or observations before accepting it.

A-R 4. Assertion: Only people called scientists can follow the scientific method.

Reason: A cook, an electrician or a cycle-repair person also asks questions and tests answers.

A-R 5. Assertion: We may not find answers to all our questions in Grade 6.

Reason: Learning science is a journey of the next five years or even beyond.

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

Quick Revision Summary

  • Chapter 1 welcomes us to a new subject, Science, at the Middle Stage of school.
  • Science = a way of thinking, observing and doing things to understand the world and uncover the secrets of the universe.
  • Curiosity — asking how and why — is the most important quality, and it gives the book its name.
  • Science is like a giant never-ending jigsaw puzzle; every discovery adds a piece and raises new questions.
  • The scientific method has five steps: observe → question → guess → test → analyse (shown by the pen-that-stops-writing example).
  • Anyone who follows this method — a cook, electrician or repair person — is working like a scientist; science is rarely done alone.

Real-life Applications

The scientific method works far beyond the classroom. A doctor observes symptoms, asks questions, guesses a cause and tests it before deciding treatment; a farmer who notices a crop wilting guesses the soil needs water and checks by watering one part; and a student fixing a slow torch tests the cells before the bulb. The same five steps — observe, question, guess, test, analyse — are how engineers improve machines, how cooks perfect recipes and how astronomers study the stars. Learning to be curious and observant in Chapter 1 prepares you to investigate every topic that follows in Curiosity — life, food, water, heat, materials and even things beyond Earth.

How to score full marks in this chapter

Learn the definition of science word for word, and remember the five steps of the scientific method in order (observe, question, guess, test, analyse). For any “daily-life example” question, pick a simple situation (pen, torch, milk, flat tyre) and clearly show all five steps. Use the textbook’s own ideas — curiosity, the jigsaw-puzzle picture, “anyone who follows the method is a scientist” and “a wise person is a whys person” — to show you have read and understood the chapter.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 1 about?

Chapter 1, The Wonderful World of Science, welcomes you to the subject Science. It explains that science is a way of thinking, observing and doing things to understand the world, that curiosity is the most important quality, and that the scientific method — observe, question, guess, test and analyse — helps us find answers, shown through the example of a pen that stops writing.

Does Chapter 1 of Curiosity have an exercise?

No. It is an introductory chapter, so instead of an end-of-chapter exercise it has three in-text “Let us think and write” activities (1.1, 1.2, 1.3) and several “wonder” prompts, all answered on this page.

What are the steps of the scientific method?

The five steps, in order, are: observe something interesting, wonder and frame a question about it, guess a possible answer, test the guess through experiments or observations, and analyse the results to see if they answer the question.

Are these Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 1 solutions free?

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

All Curiosity Chapters Class 6 Science Chapter 2 →
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