NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science (Curiosity) Chapter 8: A Journey through States of Water

These Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 8 solutions cover A Journey through States of Water from the new NCF textbook (2026–27). The chapter follows Aavi and Thirav as they discover that ice, water and water vapour are simply three states of the same substance. You will learn about evaporation, condensation, melting, freezing, the cooling effect, clouds, rain and the water cycle — with every “Let us enhance our learning” question solved step by step.

Class: 6 Subject: Science Book: Curiosity Chapter: 8 Title: A Journey through States of Water Session: 2026–27
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Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 8 Solutions – Overview

Chapter 8 of Curiosity, A Journey through States of Water, shows that water is one substance that can exist in three states — solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (water vapour). Through simple activities, Aavi and Thirav explore why puddles dry up and why water on a steel plate disappears (evaporation), why droplets form on the outside of a glass of cold water (condensation), and how heating and cooling change one state into another (melting and freezing). They learn that evaporation is faster with larger exposed area, more air movement and less humidity, and that evaporation causes a cooling effect — the reason a matka keeps water cold. Finally, condensation in the sky forms clouds that bring rain, completing the water cycle that circulates water between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere.

Key Concepts & Definitions

States of water: water exists in three states — solid (ice), liquid (water) and gaseous (water vapour). They are different forms of the same substance.

Evaporation: the process of conversion of water into its vapour state. It takes place continuously, even at room temperature (e.g. drying of wet clothes, a mopped floor and sweat).

Condensation: the process of conversion of water vapour into its liquid state, which happens when water vapour in the air meets a cold surface (e.g. droplets on a cold glass, dew drops).

Melting: the process of conversion of a solid into the liquid state, such as ice changing into water on heating.

Freezing: the process of conversion of a liquid into the solid state, such as water turning into ice in a freezer.

Humidity: the amount of water vapour present in the air. Rainy days are more humid.

Cooling effect: evaporation takes away heat and so cools the surroundings — the reason an earthen pot (matka) keeps water cold and a fan makes sweat feel cooling.

Water cycle: the circulation of water between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere through evaporation, condensation and rain (or hail/snow).

Comparing the Three States of Water (Activity 8.5)

In Activity 8.5 the textbook asks you to compare ice, water and water vapour by their shape, ability to flow and ability to spread. The completed Table 8.3 is given below.

PropertyIce (solid state)Water (liquid state)Water vapour (gaseous state)
ShapeHas a fixed shape; keeps its shape in any containerNo fixed shape; takes the shape of the containerNo fixed shape; fills the whole space available
Ability to flowDoes not flowFlows easilyFlows and spreads through the air
Ability to spreadDoes not spreadSpreads while keeping its volume constantSpreads out into the entire available space

Activity 8.6 (Fig. 8.5) completed: A = Solid, B = Liquid, C = Gas; 1 = Melts, 2 = Evaporates, 3 = Freezes, 4 = Condenses.

“Let us enhance our learning” — NCERT Solutions

All questions below are reproduced exactly from the NCERT Curiosity textbook; the answers are original and exam-ready.

1. Which of the following best describes condensation? (i) The conversion of water into its vapour state. (ii) The process of water changing from a liquid into gaseous state. (iii) The formation of clouds from tiny water droplets. (iv) The conversion of water vapour into its liquid state.

ANSWER (iv) The conversion of water vapour into its liquid state. Condensation is the change of water vapour (gas) back into liquid water, which happens when vapour meets a cold surface. Options (i) and (ii) describe evaporation, and (iii) is only one result of condensation, not its definition.

2. Identify in which of the given processes, evaporation is very important— (i) Colouring with (a) crayons (b) water colours (c) acrylic colours (d) pencil colours (ii) Writing on paper with (a) pencil (b) ink pen (c) ball point pen

ANSWER (i) (b) water colours and (c) acrylic colours. These colours contain water (or a liquid medium) that must evaporate so the paint dries. Crayons and pencil colours are wax/solid and do not need drying. (ii) (b) ink pen. The ink from a fountain/ink pen is a liquid that dries by evaporation. A pencil leaves a solid graphite mark, and ball-point ink is a thick paste that dries very little, so evaporation matters most for the ink pen.

3. We see green coloured plastic grass at many places these days. Space around natural grass feels cooler than space around the plastic grass. Can you find out why?

ANSWER Natural grass and the soil under it hold water. This water keeps evaporating continuously into the air. Evaporation takes away heat from the surroundings and so produces a cooling effect, making the space around natural grass feel cooler. Plastic grass holds no water and cannot evaporate anything. It also heats up in the sun, so there is no cooling effect and the space around it feels warmer.

4. Give examples of liquids other than water that evaporate.

ANSWER Many liquids evaporate. Common examples are spirit (alcohol), petrol, kerosene, hand sanitiser, nail-polish remover (acetone), perfume and milk. You can notice their evaporation because they slowly disappear and often spread their smell into the air.

5. Fans move air around, creating a cooling sensation. It might seem strange to use a fan to dry wet clothes since fans usually make things cooler, not warmer. Normally, when water evaporates, it requires heat, not cold air. What do you think about this?

ANSWER A fan does not warm the clothes; it dries them by increasing the movement of air. As air moves faster, the water vapour formed near the wet clothes is carried away quickly, allowing more water to evaporate. So greater air movement makes evaporation faster, and the clothes dry sooner. The “cooling” we feel from a fan is also due to the same process — the moving air helps the sweat on our skin evaporate faster, and this evaporation takes heat from our body, making us feel cool. The heat needed for evaporation is taken from the wet object and the surrounding air, not supplied by the fan.

6. Usually, when sludge is removed from drains, it is left in heaps next to the drain for 3–4 days. Afterward, it is transported to a garden or a field where it can be used as manure. This approach reduces transportation cost of the sludge and enhances the safety of individuals handling it. Reflect upon it and explain how.

ANSWER Fresh sludge contains a large amount of water. When it is left in heaps for 3–4 days, much of this water evaporates and the sludge becomes lighter and drier. Because the dried sludge weighs much less, less effort and a smaller vehicle are needed to carry it, which reduces the transportation cost. The drier, less messy material is also easier and safer to handle, so the workers face less risk while loading and moving it.

7. Observe the activities in your house for a day. Identify the activities that involve evaporation. How does understanding the process of evaporation help us in our daily activities?

ANSWER Several everyday activities involve evaporation: drying washed clothes, drying a mopped or washed floor, drying utensils after washing, drying wet hair, papad/pickles being dried in the sun, sweat drying from our skin, and a sanitiser drying on our hands. Understanding evaporation helps us plan these tasks better — we spread clothes out and dry them in sunlight or under a fan, sprinkle water on the roof or floor in summer for a cooling effect, use earthen pots to keep water cool, and dry food items properly so they can be stored without spoiling.

8. How is water present in the solid state in nature?

ANSWER In nature, water is present in its solid state as ice and snow. It is seen as snow on high mountains, glaciers, ice caps near the poles, hailstones during a hailstorm, and frost or dew that freezes on cold winter mornings. All of these are water in its frozen, solid form.

9. Reflect on the statement “Water is our responsibility before it is our right.” Share your thoughts.

ANSWER The statement means that, although every living being needs water, we cannot only demand water as a right — we must first take the responsibility to save it and keep it clean. Only a small part of the Earth’s water is fit for use, and the demand keeps rising with population. So each of us should use water wisely and avoid wasting it — close taps tightly, reuse water where possible, harvest rainwater and keep rivers, ponds and lakes free from pollution. By caring for water responsibly today, we make sure it remains available as a right for everyone, including future generations.

10. The seat of a two-wheeler parked on a sunny day has become very hot. How can you cool it down?

ANSWER We can sprinkle a little water on the hot seat or wipe it with a wet cloth. The water then evaporates, and evaporation takes away heat from the seat, producing a cooling effect that makes the seat cooler within a short time. Parking the two-wheeler in the shade or covering the seat to keep direct sunlight off it also prevents it from becoming so hot in the first place.

Common Misconceptions to Avoid

Watch out for these

  • Thinking ice and water are different substances — they are simply two states (solid and liquid) of the same substance, water.
  • Believing water in a puddle “disappears” into nothing — it changes into invisible water vapour by evaporation.
  • Confusing evaporation (liquid → vapour) with condensation (vapour → liquid).
  • Thinking the droplets outside a cold glass have seeped through the glass — they form by condensation of water vapour already in the air.
  • Believing evaporation happens only on heating — it goes on continuously, even at room temperature.
  • Thinking a matka cools water by “magic” — water seeps out and evaporates, and evaporation causes the cooling effect.
  • Assuming clothes dry faster on a rainy day — high humidity makes evaporation slower, so they dry slowly.

Extra Practice Questions

Short Answer Type Questions

Q1. Define evaporation and give one example.

ANSWEREvaporation is the process of conversion of water into its vapour state. Example: drying of wet clothes.

Q2. Why do water droplets appear on the outer surface of a glass containing cold water and ice?

ANSWERThe water vapour present in the air touches the cold surface of the glass and condenses into tiny liquid droplets. This is condensation, not water seeping through the glass.

Q3. Name the three states of water and give one example of each in nature.

ANSWERSolid — snow/ice on mountains; Liquid — water in rivers and seas; Gas — water vapour present in the air.

Q4. Why does water in an earthen pot (matka) stay cool?

ANSWERWater seeps through the tiny pores of the earthen pot and evaporates from its surface. Evaporation takes away heat, producing a cooling effect that keeps the stored water cold.

Q5. State two conditions that make evaporation faster.

ANSWERA larger exposed area of water and greater movement of air (wind or a fan) make evaporation faster. Higher temperature and lower humidity also speed it up.

Long Answer Type Questions

Q1. Explain how clouds are formed and how they give us rain.

ANSWERWater from oceans, rivers, lakes and the soil evaporates and rises into the air as water vapour, which is lighter than air. As this air moves higher above the Earth, it becomes cooler and cooler. At certain heights the air becomes so cool that the water vapour in it condenses into tiny droplets, usually forming around dust particles. Huge numbers of these tiny droplets float together and form clouds. Inside the clouds, many droplets join to make bigger drops. When some drops become heavy enough, they can no longer float and start falling to the ground — this falling water is called rain. Under special cold conditions, the water may instead fall as hail or snow.

Q2. Describe the water cycle and explain why we should use water wisely.

ANSWERThe water cycle is the continuous circulation of water between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere. Water from the oceans, rivers, lakes and land evaporates into the atmosphere as water vapour. High in the sky the vapour condenses to form clouds, and the clouds bring the water back to Earth as rain, hail or snow. This water flows through rivers, collects in lakes and seeps underground as groundwater, eventually returning to the oceans, and the cycle repeats. Only a small portion of the Earth’s water is fit for use by plants, animals and humans, while most lies in the salty oceans. As the population grows, the demand for usable water keeps rising, causing shortages in many places. Therefore we must use water wisely, avoid wasting it, harvest rainwater and keep our water bodies free from pollution.

Q3. With the help of an activity, explain how evaporation produces a cooling effect.

ANSWERTake a little water or sanitiser on the back of one hand and leave the other hand dry, then blow air across both hands. The hand with water feels cooler than the dry one. This happens because the water on the wet hand evaporates, and to change from liquid into vapour it needs heat. This heat is taken from the skin and the surrounding air, so the wet hand loses heat and feels cool. The blowing air carries the vapour away quickly, making evaporation even faster and the cooling stronger. The same principle explains the pot-in-pot cooler (Activity 8.9), where water in the moist sand evaporates and keeps the inner pot and the vegetables inside it cool, and why we feel cool when sweat evaporates under a fan.

MCQs & Assertion–Reason

1. The conversion of water into its vapour state is called:

(a) condensation    (b) evaporation    (c) freezing    (d) melting

2. Water droplets forming on the outer surface of a cold glass is an example of:

(a) evaporation    (b) melting    (c) condensation    (d) freezing

3. The process of conversion of a solid into the liquid state is called:

(a) freezing    (b) melting    (c) evaporation    (d) condensation

4. Which of the following is the gaseous state of water?

(a) ice    (b) dew    (c) water vapour    (d) rain

5. Clothes dry slowly on a rainy day because the air is:

(a) very dry    (b) more humid    (c) very hot    (d) still and warm

6. Water in an earthen pot stays cool mainly because of:

(a) condensation    (b) freezing    (c) evaporation    (d) melting

7. Evaporation becomes faster when:

(a) the exposed area is smaller    (b) the air is still    (c) humidity is high    (d) air movement increases

8. The amount of water vapour present in the air is called:

(a) condensation    (b) humidity    (c) the water cycle    (d) evaporation

9. The circulation of water between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere is called the:

(a) water cycle    (b) freezing cycle    (c) cooling effect    (d) condensation cycle

10. Which property is true for ice but not for water?

(a) it flows easily    (b) it has a fixed shape    (c) it takes the shape of the container    (d) it spreads out

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

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: Ice and water are the same substance in different states.

Reason: Ice melts to give water and water freezes to give ice.

A-R 2. Assertion: Water droplets appear on the outside of a glass of cold water.

Reason: Water seeps out through the wall of the glass tumbler.

A-R 3. Assertion: Wet clothes dry faster on a windy day.

Reason: Increased movement of air makes evaporation faster.

A-R 4. Assertion: Sprinkling water on the floor in summer cools the room.

Reason: Evaporation of the water takes away heat and produces a cooling effect.

A-R 5. Assertion: Evaporation takes place only when water is heated strongly.

Reason: Evaporation goes on continuously, even at room temperature.

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

Quick Revision Summary

  • Water exists in three states: solid (ice), liquid (water) and gas (water vapour) — all the same substance.
  • Evaporation = water → water vapour; condensation = water vapour → water.
  • Melting = solid → liquid; freezing = liquid → solid. Heating and cooling change the state of water.
  • Evaporation is faster with a larger exposed area, more air movement, higher temperature and lower humidity.
  • Evaporation produces a cooling effect (matka, sweat under a fan, sprinkling water in summer).
  • Water vapour condenses around dust particles to form clouds; heavy drops fall as rain (or hail/snow).
  • The water cycle circulates water between the Earth’s surface and the atmosphere — so we must use water wisely.

Real-life Applications

The ideas in this chapter are all around us. Farmers and city dwellers use evaporative cooling — matkas, surahis, pot-in-pot coolers and desert (air) coolers all rely on water evaporating to cool air or stored food. People dry clothes, papads and pickles faster by spreading them out in sunlight and breeze, using the rules of evaporation. Atmospheric Water Generators collect drinking water from humid air by condensation. The same condensation forms dew, fog and the water drops under a pot lid. On a large scale, the water cycle waters our fields, fills our rivers and reservoirs, and refills groundwater — which is why saving water and keeping water bodies clean matters so much.

How to score full marks in this chapter

Learn the four key definitions exactly — evaporation, condensation, melting, freezing — and never mix them up. In experiment-based questions, always state which factor you change (exposed area, air movement, humidity) and which you keep the same to make a fair test. Remember that droplets on a cold glass come from condensation of air’s water vapour, not seeping, and that evaporation causes cooling. Use the textbook’s own examples — the matka, drying clothes, the cold glass and the water cycle — to make your answers strong.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 8 about?

Chapter 8, A Journey through States of Water, explains that water exists in three states — ice (solid), water (liquid) and water vapour (gas) — and how it changes between them through evaporation, condensation, melting and freezing. It also covers the cooling effect, how clouds give rain and the water cycle.

What is the difference between evaporation and condensation?

Evaporation is the conversion of liquid water into water vapour (a gas). Condensation is the opposite — the conversion of water vapour back into liquid water, which happens when vapour meets a cold surface.

Why does water in an earthen pot stay cold?

Water slowly seeps through the tiny pores of the earthen pot and evaporates from its surface. Evaporation takes heat from the water, producing a cooling effect that keeps the stored water cold.

Are these Class 6 Science Curiosity Chapter 8 solutions free?

Yes. All ClearStudy NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science Curiosity are free and follow the official NCERT textbook for the 2026–27 session.

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