Vardhman International School

Biology Lecture- 1: 20 and 21 April

Sorting Materials into Groups. i.e. Grouping of substances on the basis of some
observable similarities and dissimilarities.
If we see around us there is a wide variety of objects everywhere. All these have different
shapes, Color and uses.
Now observe around you different object which are of round shape or made up of plastics.
All objects are made up of one or more materials these may be metals, plastic, wood cotton,
paper, mud or soil etc.

Activity 1: Collect some objects and find out the materials by which they are made up
e.g. Plate: Steel, Glass, Plastic etc.
Pen: Plastic, Metal.
Activity 2: Now collect different types of objects that are made up from the same material.
e.g. Wood: Chair, Table, Plough etc.
Paper: Books, News paper,

Objects may be made up of single substance or More than one material.

We choose a material to make an object depending on its properties and purpose for which
object to be used. e.g. we cannot use cloth to store water.

Properties of Materials

We will discuss the following properties of materials:

1. Appearance:
Wood looks different from Iron and Iron from Aluminum and Copper. But Iron has
some similarity with Aluminum and Copper but not with wood.
Shiny: Collect Paper, Cardboard, Wood, Aluminum sheet, Chalk. Cut them and
observe their exposed surfaces which one is shiny and which one is not.
Aluminium is shiny, while others are not, so materials are of two types Shiny or
Lustrous and Non-lustrous. Most of metals are shiny.
  But after some time they lose their shine due to air and moisture. I think you have
observed that jewelries after some time lose their shine.

2. Hardness:
Some materials are hard to compress while others can be easily compressed.
Some materials can be easily scratched while some cannot be easily scratched.
So materials can be-
Soft- Which can be scratched and compressed. e.g. Sponge.
Hard- Which are difficult to compress. e.g. Iron.

So in Appearance material can have different properties like Lusture, Hardness be

Home Assignment
Q. 1 Give four examples of objects having round, Irregular and Rectangular shapes.
Q. 2 Give four examples of objects which are made up of single material and more than one
materials.
Q. 3 Classify materials on the basis of Appearance (Shiny and Dull). Also give two
examples of each.
Q. 4 Classify materials on the basis of Hardness (Soft and Hard). Also give two examples
of each.
Q. 5 Why jewelry after sometime becomes tarnished i.e. they lose their shine.