Class 6 Science Chapter 6 Materials Around Us Notes & Summary in English for CBSE students
CBSE Class 6 Science Chapter 6 Notes & Summary in English for “Materials Around Us” (based on NCERT textbook Curiosity ).
Chapter 6 – Materials Around Us Complete Notes
(Complete Notes + Concept-wise Explanation + Summary CBSE Class 6 Science – Curiosity Book)
CHAPTER 6 – MATERIALS AROUND US
Class 6 Science Notes & Summary (Concept-wise Explanation)
Chapter Overview
This chapter helps us understand the materials around us, their properties, and how we classify them. You also learn what matter is and how mass and volume help in identifying matter.
1. Observing Objects Around Us
We use many objects every day—pen, table, chair, bottle, book, etc.
All these objects are made from materials such as:
- paper
- plastic
- wood
- metal
- glass
- clay
Material: Any substance used to make an object is called a material.
Key Idea
One object can be made from different materials.
Different objects can be made using the same material.
Activity Insight
You identify objects and list the materials they are made of.
This shows that objects are made from a variety of materials.
Historical Note
Ancient India had advanced pottery techniques—cleaning, sieving, kneading clay, shaping pots on wheels, and baking them to make terracotta.
2. How to Group Materials?
Grouping or classification means arranging things based on common properties.
We can group objects based on:
- shape
- colour
- texture
- hardness or softness
- lustre (shine)
- materials used
- transparency
Why classification is useful?
- Helps us understand properties
- Helps arrange things neatly
- Makes studying materials easier
- Helps identify patterns in nature
Activity Insight
Students group objects shown in pictures.
Different students choose different properties.
This shows materials have multiple properties, and we can group them in many ways.
3. Properties of Materials
This is the most important section of the chapter.
Materials show different properties, such as:
- Appearance (lustrous / non-lustrous)
- Hardness (hard / soft)
- Transparency (transparent / translucent / opaque)
- Solubility (soluble / insoluble)
- Mass (heaviness/lightness)
- Volume (space occupied)
Let us study each.
3.1 Appearance (Lustrous and Non-lustrous)
- Materials that have shiny surfaces are lustrous (mostly metals):
iron, copper, aluminium, gold, silver. - Materials without shine are non-lustrous:
wood, rubber, paper, chalk, jute.
Note:
Metals may lose shine when exposed to air and moisture.
Not all shiny materials are metals—some are polished or coated.
3.2 Hardness (Hard or Soft Materials)
- Hard materials: Cannot be easily compressed or scratched.
Examples: stone, metal, bricks. - Soft materials: Can be easily compressed or scratched.
Examples: rubber, sponge, cotton, eraser.
Key Point:
Hardness is a relative property.
Example: rubber is harder than sponge but softer than iron.
3.3 Transparency – Can you see through it?
Materials are grouped based on the amount of light they allow to pass.
Transparent
Objects can be seen clearly through them.
Examples: glass, water, air.
Translucent
Objects can be seen but not clearly.
Examples: butter paper, frosted glass.
Opaque
Objects cannot be seen at all.
Examples: wood, metals, cardboard.
3.4 Solubility – What dissolves in water?
Soluble materials
Disappear when mixed with water.
Examples: sugar, salt, glucose.
Insoluble materials
Do not dissolve.
Examples: sand, sawdust, chalk powder.
Liquids in water
- Some liquids mix completely (miscible): vinegar, alcohol.
- Some form separate layers (immiscible): oil, kerosene.
Gases in water
Some gases dissolve (like oxygen).
Important for aquatic life.
3.5 Heaviness and Lightness (Mass)
- Mass tells how heavy or light an object is.
- Objects with more mass feel heavier.
Example activity uses cups filled with:
- water
- sand
- pebbles
Pebbles > sand > water in mass.
In daily life, people often use “weight” to mean mass.
3.6 Space and Volume
All materials occupy space.
- Volume = Space occupied by matter.
- Measured in litre (L) or millilitre (mL).
- 1 L = 1000 mL
- SI unit of volume = cubic metre (m³).
Example: Water bottles labelled 500 mL, 1 L etc. show volume.
4. Matter
After learning mass and volume, we now define matter.
Definition
Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter.
Examples:
- air
- water
- sand
- metal
- plastics
- plants
- animals
Units
Mass: gram (g), kilogram (kg)
Volume: litre (L), millilitre (mL), cubic metre (m³)
5. Classification in Ancient India
Ayurveda used 20 properties (10 opposite pairs) to classify matter:
Examples:
- heavy ↔ light
- cold ↔ hot
- soft ↔ hard
- smooth ↔ rough
- solid ↔ liquid
This shows that the idea of classifying materials is very ancient.
Chapter Summary (Key Points)
- Objects are made from various materials.
- A material may be used to make many different objects.
- The method of grouping materials or objects is called classification.
- Materials are grouped based on properties such as:
- appearance (lustrous/non-lustrous)
- hardness or softness
- transparency
- solubility
- mass
- volume
- Materials differ in how they look and how they behave.
- Soluble materials disappear in water; insoluble do not.
- Transparent, translucent, opaque materials differ in how much light they allow to pass.
- Anything that occupies space and has mass is matter.
- Mass measures the quantity of matter; volume measures the space occupied.
Concept-by-Concept Notes (Short Version for Revision)
Materials
Substances used to make objects.
Classification
Arranging materials based on common properties.
Lustre
Shiny appearance → metals
Dull appearance → non-metals
Hardness
Hard materials → difficult to compress
Soft materials → can be easily compressed
Transparency
Transparent: see clearly
Translucent: see partially
Opaque: cannot see through
Solubility
Soluble → dissolves
Insoluble → does not dissolve
Liquids and gases may or may not dissolve in water.
Mass
More mass = heavier
Less mass = lighter
Volume
Space occupied by matter
Measured in L / mL / m³
Matter
Anything that has mass and occupies space.