NCERT Textbook: Fibre to Fabric | NCERT Textbooks (Class 6 to Class 12) - CTET & State TET PDF Download

 Page 1


18 SCIENCE
3 Fibre to Fabric
Fig. 3.1 A cloth shop
Fig.3.2  Enlarged view
of a piece of fabric
P
aheli and Boojho won the first
prize in a Science Quiz
competition held at their school.
They were very excited and decided to
use the prize money to buy clothes for
their parents. When they saw a large
variety of cloth material, they got
confused (Fig. 3.1). The shopkeeper
explained that some clothes or fabrics
were cotton and some were synthetic.
He also had woollen mufflers and
shawls. There were many silk sarees as
well. Paheli and Boojho felt very excited.
They touched and felt these different
fabrics. Finally, they bought a woollen
muffler and a cotton saree.
After their visit to the cloth shop,
Paheli and Boojho began to notice
various fabrics in their surroundings.
They found that bed sheets, blankets,
curtains, tablecloths, towels and
dusters were made from different kinds
of fabrics. Even their school bags and
the gunny bags were made from
some kind of fabric. They tried to
identify these fabrics as cotton, wool,
silk or synthetic. Can you also identify
some fabrics?
3.1 VARIETY IN FABRICS
Activity 1
Visit a nearby tailoring shop.
Collect cuttings of
fabrics leftover after
stitching. Feel and
touch each piece
of fabric. Now,
try to label some
of the fabrics as
cotton, silk, wool
or synthetic after
asking for help from the tailor.
Do you wonder what these different
fabrics are made of? When you look at
any fabric, it seems a continuous piece.
Now, look at it closely. What do you
notice (Fig. 3.2)?
Activity 2
Select a piece of cotton fabric you
labelled in Activity 1. Now, try to find a
loose thread or yarn at one of the edges
and pull it out (Fig. 3.3). If no loose
2022-23
Page 2


18 SCIENCE
3 Fibre to Fabric
Fig. 3.1 A cloth shop
Fig.3.2  Enlarged view
of a piece of fabric
P
aheli and Boojho won the first
prize in a Science Quiz
competition held at their school.
They were very excited and decided to
use the prize money to buy clothes for
their parents. When they saw a large
variety of cloth material, they got
confused (Fig. 3.1). The shopkeeper
explained that some clothes or fabrics
were cotton and some were synthetic.
He also had woollen mufflers and
shawls. There were many silk sarees as
well. Paheli and Boojho felt very excited.
They touched and felt these different
fabrics. Finally, they bought a woollen
muffler and a cotton saree.
After their visit to the cloth shop,
Paheli and Boojho began to notice
various fabrics in their surroundings.
They found that bed sheets, blankets,
curtains, tablecloths, towels and
dusters were made from different kinds
of fabrics. Even their school bags and
the gunny bags were made from
some kind of fabric. They tried to
identify these fabrics as cotton, wool,
silk or synthetic. Can you also identify
some fabrics?
3.1 VARIETY IN FABRICS
Activity 1
Visit a nearby tailoring shop.
Collect cuttings of
fabrics leftover after
stitching. Feel and
touch each piece
of fabric. Now,
try to label some
of the fabrics as
cotton, silk, wool
or synthetic after
asking for help from the tailor.
Do you wonder what these different
fabrics are made of? When you look at
any fabric, it seems a continuous piece.
Now, look at it closely. What do you
notice (Fig. 3.2)?
Activity 2
Select a piece of cotton fabric you
labelled in Activity 1. Now, try to find a
loose thread or yarn at one of the edges
and pull it out (Fig. 3.3). If no loose
2022-23
19 FIBRE TO FABRIC
Fig. 3.3 Pulling a thread from a fabric
Fig.3.4 Splitting the yarn into thin strands
Fig. 3.5 Yarn split up into thin strands
yarns are visible, you can gently pull
one out with a pin or a needle.
We find that a fabric is made up of
yarns arranged together. What are these
yarns made of?
3.2 FIBRE
Activity 3
Take out a yarn from a piece of cotton
fabric. Place this piece of yarn on the
table. Now, press one end of the yarn
with your thumb. Scratch the other end
of the yarn along its length with your
nail as shown in Fig. 3.4.   Do you find
that at this end, the yarn splits up into
thin strands (Fig. 3.5)?
You might have observed something
similar when you try to thread a
needle. Many a time, the end of the
thread is separated into a few thin
strands. This makes it difficult to pass
the thread through the eye of the
needle. The thin strands of thread that
we see, are made up of still thinner
strands called fibres.
Fabrics are made up of yarns and
yarns are further made up of fibres.
Where do these fibres come from?
The fibres of some fabrics such as
cotton, jute, silk and wool are obtained
from plants and animals. These are
called natural fibres. Cotton and jute
are examples of fibres obtained from
plants. Wool and silk fibres are obtained
from animals. Wool is obtained from the
fleece of sheep or goat. It is also obtained
from the hair of rabbits, yak and
camels. Silk fibre is drawn from the
cocoon of silkworm.
For thousands of years natural fibres
were the only ones available for making
fabrics. In the last hundred years or so,
fibres are also made from chemical
Boojho has seen in the
museums, items like the
one shown here. These
were worn by warriors. He
wants to know if these
are made of some
kinds of fibre.
2022-23
Page 3


18 SCIENCE
3 Fibre to Fabric
Fig. 3.1 A cloth shop
Fig.3.2  Enlarged view
of a piece of fabric
P
aheli and Boojho won the first
prize in a Science Quiz
competition held at their school.
They were very excited and decided to
use the prize money to buy clothes for
their parents. When they saw a large
variety of cloth material, they got
confused (Fig. 3.1). The shopkeeper
explained that some clothes or fabrics
were cotton and some were synthetic.
He also had woollen mufflers and
shawls. There were many silk sarees as
well. Paheli and Boojho felt very excited.
They touched and felt these different
fabrics. Finally, they bought a woollen
muffler and a cotton saree.
After their visit to the cloth shop,
Paheli and Boojho began to notice
various fabrics in their surroundings.
They found that bed sheets, blankets,
curtains, tablecloths, towels and
dusters were made from different kinds
of fabrics. Even their school bags and
the gunny bags were made from
some kind of fabric. They tried to
identify these fabrics as cotton, wool,
silk or synthetic. Can you also identify
some fabrics?
3.1 VARIETY IN FABRICS
Activity 1
Visit a nearby tailoring shop.
Collect cuttings of
fabrics leftover after
stitching. Feel and
touch each piece
of fabric. Now,
try to label some
of the fabrics as
cotton, silk, wool
or synthetic after
asking for help from the tailor.
Do you wonder what these different
fabrics are made of? When you look at
any fabric, it seems a continuous piece.
Now, look at it closely. What do you
notice (Fig. 3.2)?
Activity 2
Select a piece of cotton fabric you
labelled in Activity 1. Now, try to find a
loose thread or yarn at one of the edges
and pull it out (Fig. 3.3). If no loose
2022-23
19 FIBRE TO FABRIC
Fig. 3.3 Pulling a thread from a fabric
Fig.3.4 Splitting the yarn into thin strands
Fig. 3.5 Yarn split up into thin strands
yarns are visible, you can gently pull
one out with a pin or a needle.
We find that a fabric is made up of
yarns arranged together. What are these
yarns made of?
3.2 FIBRE
Activity 3
Take out a yarn from a piece of cotton
fabric. Place this piece of yarn on the
table. Now, press one end of the yarn
with your thumb. Scratch the other end
of the yarn along its length with your
nail as shown in Fig. 3.4.   Do you find
that at this end, the yarn splits up into
thin strands (Fig. 3.5)?
You might have observed something
similar when you try to thread a
needle. Many a time, the end of the
thread is separated into a few thin
strands. This makes it difficult to pass
the thread through the eye of the
needle. The thin strands of thread that
we see, are made up of still thinner
strands called fibres.
Fabrics are made up of yarns and
yarns are further made up of fibres.
Where do these fibres come from?
The fibres of some fabrics such as
cotton, jute, silk and wool are obtained
from plants and animals. These are
called natural fibres. Cotton and jute
are examples of fibres obtained from
plants. Wool and silk fibres are obtained
from animals. Wool is obtained from the
fleece of sheep or goat. It is also obtained
from the hair of rabbits, yak and
camels. Silk fibre is drawn from the
cocoon of silkworm.
For thousands of years natural fibres
were the only ones available for making
fabrics. In the last hundred years or so,
fibres are also made from chemical
Boojho has seen in the
museums, items like the
one shown here. These
were worn by warriors. He
wants to know if these
are made of some
kinds of fibre.
2022-23
20 SCIENCE
substances, which are not obtained
from plant or animal sources. These are
called synthetic fibres. Some examples
of synthetic fibres are polyester, nylon
and acrylic.
3.3 SOME PLANT FIBRES
Cotton
Have you ever made wicks for oil lamps?
What do you use for making these
wicks? This cotton wool is also used for
filling mattresses, quilts or pillows.
Take some cotton wool, pull it apart
and look at its edges. What do you
observe? The small, thin strands that
you see are made up of cotton fibres.
Where does this cotton wool come
from? It is grown in the fields. Cotton
plants are usually grown at places
having black soil and warm climate. Can
you name some states of our country
where cotton is grown? The fruits of the
cotton plant (cotton bolls) are about the
size of a lemon. After maturing, the bolls
burst open and the seeds covered with
cotton fibres can be seen. Have you ever
Jute
Jute fibre is obtained from the stem of
the jute plant (Fig 3.8). It is cultivated
during the rainy season. In India, jute is
mainly grown in
West Bengal, Bihar
and Assam. The
jute plant is
normally harvested
when it is at
flowering stage.
The stems of the
harvested plants
are immersed in
water for a few
days. The stems rot
and fibres are
separated by hand.
Fig.3.6 Field of cotton plants
Fig. 3.7 Ginning of cotton
seen a cotton field that is ready for
picking?  It looks like a field covered with
snow (Fig.3.6).
From these bolls, cotton is usually
picked by hand. Fibres are then
separated from the seeds by combing.
This process is called ginning of cotton.
Ginning was traditionally done by hand
(Fig.3.7). These days, machines are also
used for ginning.
Fig. 3.8 A jute plant
2022-23
Page 4


18 SCIENCE
3 Fibre to Fabric
Fig. 3.1 A cloth shop
Fig.3.2  Enlarged view
of a piece of fabric
P
aheli and Boojho won the first
prize in a Science Quiz
competition held at their school.
They were very excited and decided to
use the prize money to buy clothes for
their parents. When they saw a large
variety of cloth material, they got
confused (Fig. 3.1). The shopkeeper
explained that some clothes or fabrics
were cotton and some were synthetic.
He also had woollen mufflers and
shawls. There were many silk sarees as
well. Paheli and Boojho felt very excited.
They touched and felt these different
fabrics. Finally, they bought a woollen
muffler and a cotton saree.
After their visit to the cloth shop,
Paheli and Boojho began to notice
various fabrics in their surroundings.
They found that bed sheets, blankets,
curtains, tablecloths, towels and
dusters were made from different kinds
of fabrics. Even their school bags and
the gunny bags were made from
some kind of fabric. They tried to
identify these fabrics as cotton, wool,
silk or synthetic. Can you also identify
some fabrics?
3.1 VARIETY IN FABRICS
Activity 1
Visit a nearby tailoring shop.
Collect cuttings of
fabrics leftover after
stitching. Feel and
touch each piece
of fabric. Now,
try to label some
of the fabrics as
cotton, silk, wool
or synthetic after
asking for help from the tailor.
Do you wonder what these different
fabrics are made of? When you look at
any fabric, it seems a continuous piece.
Now, look at it closely. What do you
notice (Fig. 3.2)?
Activity 2
Select a piece of cotton fabric you
labelled in Activity 1. Now, try to find a
loose thread or yarn at one of the edges
and pull it out (Fig. 3.3). If no loose
2022-23
19 FIBRE TO FABRIC
Fig. 3.3 Pulling a thread from a fabric
Fig.3.4 Splitting the yarn into thin strands
Fig. 3.5 Yarn split up into thin strands
yarns are visible, you can gently pull
one out with a pin or a needle.
We find that a fabric is made up of
yarns arranged together. What are these
yarns made of?
3.2 FIBRE
Activity 3
Take out a yarn from a piece of cotton
fabric. Place this piece of yarn on the
table. Now, press one end of the yarn
with your thumb. Scratch the other end
of the yarn along its length with your
nail as shown in Fig. 3.4.   Do you find
that at this end, the yarn splits up into
thin strands (Fig. 3.5)?
You might have observed something
similar when you try to thread a
needle. Many a time, the end of the
thread is separated into a few thin
strands. This makes it difficult to pass
the thread through the eye of the
needle. The thin strands of thread that
we see, are made up of still thinner
strands called fibres.
Fabrics are made up of yarns and
yarns are further made up of fibres.
Where do these fibres come from?
The fibres of some fabrics such as
cotton, jute, silk and wool are obtained
from plants and animals. These are
called natural fibres. Cotton and jute
are examples of fibres obtained from
plants. Wool and silk fibres are obtained
from animals. Wool is obtained from the
fleece of sheep or goat. It is also obtained
from the hair of rabbits, yak and
camels. Silk fibre is drawn from the
cocoon of silkworm.
For thousands of years natural fibres
were the only ones available for making
fabrics. In the last hundred years or so,
fibres are also made from chemical
Boojho has seen in the
museums, items like the
one shown here. These
were worn by warriors. He
wants to know if these
are made of some
kinds of fibre.
2022-23
20 SCIENCE
substances, which are not obtained
from plant or animal sources. These are
called synthetic fibres. Some examples
of synthetic fibres are polyester, nylon
and acrylic.
3.3 SOME PLANT FIBRES
Cotton
Have you ever made wicks for oil lamps?
What do you use for making these
wicks? This cotton wool is also used for
filling mattresses, quilts or pillows.
Take some cotton wool, pull it apart
and look at its edges. What do you
observe? The small, thin strands that
you see are made up of cotton fibres.
Where does this cotton wool come
from? It is grown in the fields. Cotton
plants are usually grown at places
having black soil and warm climate. Can
you name some states of our country
where cotton is grown? The fruits of the
cotton plant (cotton bolls) are about the
size of a lemon. After maturing, the bolls
burst open and the seeds covered with
cotton fibres can be seen. Have you ever
Jute
Jute fibre is obtained from the stem of
the jute plant (Fig 3.8). It is cultivated
during the rainy season. In India, jute is
mainly grown in
West Bengal, Bihar
and Assam. The
jute plant is
normally harvested
when it is at
flowering stage.
The stems of the
harvested plants
are immersed in
water for a few
days. The stems rot
and fibres are
separated by hand.
Fig.3.6 Field of cotton plants
Fig. 3.7 Ginning of cotton
seen a cotton field that is ready for
picking?  It looks like a field covered with
snow (Fig.3.6).
From these bolls, cotton is usually
picked by hand. Fibres are then
separated from the seeds by combing.
This process is called ginning of cotton.
Ginning was traditionally done by hand
(Fig.3.7). These days, machines are also
used for ginning.
Fig. 3.8 A jute plant
2022-23
21 FIBRE TO FABRIC
Fig. 3.10
A Takli
Fig. 3.11 Charkha
To make fabrics, all these fibres are
first converted into yarns. How is
it done?
3.4 SPINNING COTTON YARN
You can try making cotton yarn yourself.
Activity 4
Hold some cotton wool in one hand.
Pinch some cotton between the
thumb and forefinger of the other hand.
Now, gently start pulling out the cotton,
while continuously twisting the fibres
(Fig. 3.9). Are you able to
make a yarn?
The process of making yarn
from fibres is called spinning.
In this process, fibres from a
mass of cotton wool are drawn
out and twisted. This brings
the fibres together to form
a yarn.
A simple device used
for spinning is a hand
spindle, also called takli
(Fig. 3.10). Another hand
operated device used for
spinning is charkha
(Fig. 3.11). Use of charkha was
popularised by Mahatma
Gandhi as part of the
Independence movement. He
encouraged people to wear
clothes made of homespun yarn termed
as khadi and shun imported cloth made
in the mills of Britain. To popularise and
promote khadi, the Government of India
constituted a body called Khadi and
Village Industries Commission in 1956.
Spinning of yarn on a large scale is
done with the help of spinning
machines. After spinning, yarns are
used for making fabrics.
3.5 YARN TO FABRIC
There are many ways by which fabrics
are made from yarns. The two main
processes are weaving and knitting.
Weaving
In Activity 2, you might have noticed
that a fabric is made up of two sets of
yarns arranged together. The process of
arranging two sets of yarns together to
make a fabric is called weaving. Let us
try to weave some paper strips.
Activity 5
Take two sheets of paper of different
colours. Cut square pieces of length and
width equal to 30 cm from each sheet.
Now, fold both the sheets into half. On
one sheet draw lines as shown in the
Fig. 3.9 Making  yarn from cotton
2022-23
Page 5


18 SCIENCE
3 Fibre to Fabric
Fig. 3.1 A cloth shop
Fig.3.2  Enlarged view
of a piece of fabric
P
aheli and Boojho won the first
prize in a Science Quiz
competition held at their school.
They were very excited and decided to
use the prize money to buy clothes for
their parents. When they saw a large
variety of cloth material, they got
confused (Fig. 3.1). The shopkeeper
explained that some clothes or fabrics
were cotton and some were synthetic.
He also had woollen mufflers and
shawls. There were many silk sarees as
well. Paheli and Boojho felt very excited.
They touched and felt these different
fabrics. Finally, they bought a woollen
muffler and a cotton saree.
After their visit to the cloth shop,
Paheli and Boojho began to notice
various fabrics in their surroundings.
They found that bed sheets, blankets,
curtains, tablecloths, towels and
dusters were made from different kinds
of fabrics. Even their school bags and
the gunny bags were made from
some kind of fabric. They tried to
identify these fabrics as cotton, wool,
silk or synthetic. Can you also identify
some fabrics?
3.1 VARIETY IN FABRICS
Activity 1
Visit a nearby tailoring shop.
Collect cuttings of
fabrics leftover after
stitching. Feel and
touch each piece
of fabric. Now,
try to label some
of the fabrics as
cotton, silk, wool
or synthetic after
asking for help from the tailor.
Do you wonder what these different
fabrics are made of? When you look at
any fabric, it seems a continuous piece.
Now, look at it closely. What do you
notice (Fig. 3.2)?
Activity 2
Select a piece of cotton fabric you
labelled in Activity 1. Now, try to find a
loose thread or yarn at one of the edges
and pull it out (Fig. 3.3). If no loose
2022-23
19 FIBRE TO FABRIC
Fig. 3.3 Pulling a thread from a fabric
Fig.3.4 Splitting the yarn into thin strands
Fig. 3.5 Yarn split up into thin strands
yarns are visible, you can gently pull
one out with a pin or a needle.
We find that a fabric is made up of
yarns arranged together. What are these
yarns made of?
3.2 FIBRE
Activity 3
Take out a yarn from a piece of cotton
fabric. Place this piece of yarn on the
table. Now, press one end of the yarn
with your thumb. Scratch the other end
of the yarn along its length with your
nail as shown in Fig. 3.4.   Do you find
that at this end, the yarn splits up into
thin strands (Fig. 3.5)?
You might have observed something
similar when you try to thread a
needle. Many a time, the end of the
thread is separated into a few thin
strands. This makes it difficult to pass
the thread through the eye of the
needle. The thin strands of thread that
we see, are made up of still thinner
strands called fibres.
Fabrics are made up of yarns and
yarns are further made up of fibres.
Where do these fibres come from?
The fibres of some fabrics such as
cotton, jute, silk and wool are obtained
from plants and animals. These are
called natural fibres. Cotton and jute
are examples of fibres obtained from
plants. Wool and silk fibres are obtained
from animals. Wool is obtained from the
fleece of sheep or goat. It is also obtained
from the hair of rabbits, yak and
camels. Silk fibre is drawn from the
cocoon of silkworm.
For thousands of years natural fibres
were the only ones available for making
fabrics. In the last hundred years or so,
fibres are also made from chemical
Boojho has seen in the
museums, items like the
one shown here. These
were worn by warriors. He
wants to know if these
are made of some
kinds of fibre.
2022-23
20 SCIENCE
substances, which are not obtained
from plant or animal sources. These are
called synthetic fibres. Some examples
of synthetic fibres are polyester, nylon
and acrylic.
3.3 SOME PLANT FIBRES
Cotton
Have you ever made wicks for oil lamps?
What do you use for making these
wicks? This cotton wool is also used for
filling mattresses, quilts or pillows.
Take some cotton wool, pull it apart
and look at its edges. What do you
observe? The small, thin strands that
you see are made up of cotton fibres.
Where does this cotton wool come
from? It is grown in the fields. Cotton
plants are usually grown at places
having black soil and warm climate. Can
you name some states of our country
where cotton is grown? The fruits of the
cotton plant (cotton bolls) are about the
size of a lemon. After maturing, the bolls
burst open and the seeds covered with
cotton fibres can be seen. Have you ever
Jute
Jute fibre is obtained from the stem of
the jute plant (Fig 3.8). It is cultivated
during the rainy season. In India, jute is
mainly grown in
West Bengal, Bihar
and Assam. The
jute plant is
normally harvested
when it is at
flowering stage.
The stems of the
harvested plants
are immersed in
water for a few
days. The stems rot
and fibres are
separated by hand.
Fig.3.6 Field of cotton plants
Fig. 3.7 Ginning of cotton
seen a cotton field that is ready for
picking?  It looks like a field covered with
snow (Fig.3.6).
From these bolls, cotton is usually
picked by hand. Fibres are then
separated from the seeds by combing.
This process is called ginning of cotton.
Ginning was traditionally done by hand
(Fig.3.7). These days, machines are also
used for ginning.
Fig. 3.8 A jute plant
2022-23
21 FIBRE TO FABRIC
Fig. 3.10
A Takli
Fig. 3.11 Charkha
To make fabrics, all these fibres are
first converted into yarns. How is
it done?
3.4 SPINNING COTTON YARN
You can try making cotton yarn yourself.
Activity 4
Hold some cotton wool in one hand.
Pinch some cotton between the
thumb and forefinger of the other hand.
Now, gently start pulling out the cotton,
while continuously twisting the fibres
(Fig. 3.9). Are you able to
make a yarn?
The process of making yarn
from fibres is called spinning.
In this process, fibres from a
mass of cotton wool are drawn
out and twisted. This brings
the fibres together to form
a yarn.
A simple device used
for spinning is a hand
spindle, also called takli
(Fig. 3.10). Another hand
operated device used for
spinning is charkha
(Fig. 3.11). Use of charkha was
popularised by Mahatma
Gandhi as part of the
Independence movement. He
encouraged people to wear
clothes made of homespun yarn termed
as khadi and shun imported cloth made
in the mills of Britain. To popularise and
promote khadi, the Government of India
constituted a body called Khadi and
Village Industries Commission in 1956.
Spinning of yarn on a large scale is
done with the help of spinning
machines. After spinning, yarns are
used for making fabrics.
3.5 YARN TO FABRIC
There are many ways by which fabrics
are made from yarns. The two main
processes are weaving and knitting.
Weaving
In Activity 2, you might have noticed
that a fabric is made up of two sets of
yarns arranged together. The process of
arranging two sets of yarns together to
make a fabric is called weaving. Let us
try to weave some paper strips.
Activity 5
Take two sheets of paper of different
colours. Cut square pieces of length and
width equal to 30 cm from each sheet.
Now, fold both the sheets into half. On
one sheet draw lines as shown in the
Fig. 3.9 Making  yarn from cotton
2022-23
22 SCIENCE
Fig. 3.13 Handloom
Fig. 3.12 Weaving with paper strips
(a)
(c) (d)
Fig 3.14 Knitting
Fig 3.12 (a) and on the other as shown
in Fig.3.12 (b). Cut both the sheets
along the dotted lines and then unfold.
Weave the strips one by one through the
cuts in the sheet of paper as shown in
Fig.3.12 (c). Fig. 3.12 (d) shows the
pattern after weaving all the strips.
In a similar manner, two sets of yarn
are woven to make a fabric. The yarns
are much thinner than our paper strips,
of course! Weaving of fabric is done on
looms (Fig. 3.13). The looms are either
hand operated or power operated.
Knitting
Have you noticed how sweaters are
knitted? In knitting, a single yarn is
used to make a piece of fabric (Fig. 3.14).
Have you ever pulled the yarn from a
torn pair of socks? What happens? A
single yarn gets pulled out continuously
as the fabric gets unravelled. Socks and
many other clothing items are made of
knitted fabrics. Knitting is done by
hand and also on machines.
Paheli wants to know if you have
seen any fabrics that are made
of the fibres on the outer covering
of coconut. What are these
fibres normally used for?
(b)
2022-23