Sorting Materials into Groups - Science and Tech NCERT Notes for UPSC
Jan 25, 2023

Properties of Materials
Properties of materials help us to decide which material should be used for making any given object. Some common properties are:
- Appearance
- Having lustre or shiny appearance - Gold, Silver etc.
- Having no lustre or dull appearance - Paper, Chalk etc.
- Hardness
- Hard to compress, scratch - Iron, Stone etc.
- Easy to compress, scratch - Sponge, Wool etc.
- Soluble/Insoluble in water
- Soluble in Water - Sugar, Salt etc.
- Insoluble in Water - Petrol, Saw Dust etc.
- Float/Sink in Water
- Lighter than water (Less Density) thus floats - Dry Leaves, Oil etc.
- Heavier than water (High Density) thus sinks - Stone, Iron etc.
- Transparency
| Material | Can see-through material | Examples |
| Transparent | Yes, Easily | Glass, Water |
| Translucent | Yes, but not clearly | Oiled Paper, Clouds |
| Opaque | No | Wood, Brick |
Also Read : What are lab grown diamonds?
Thus, grouping of materials based on the similarities or differences in their properties can help us to study their characteristics in a more convenient manner.
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