Textbook: Substances in Daily Use | General Science Class 6 (Maharashtra Board) PDF Download

 Page 1


42
Substances and objects
All substances are made up of very small 
particles. Objects are made up of substances. 
Objects have a specific shape, their parts have a 
specific arrangement, by which we identify  them.  
We use wood, plastic or steel, to make a table, 
chair or cupboard. These substances have the 
strength required to make these articles. Also, these 
substances can be given a desired shape. It means 
that we consider the properties of substances to 
use them for making things.  
The same substance or material can be used 
to make many objects. Let us study some such 
examples. 
Cotton - cloth, fibre   or  thread, sarees,  
handkerchiefs,   quilts, mattresses, pillows, etc.
Iron  -  construction steel bars, griddles, 
(tawa), parts of automobiles, electric poles, tables, 
cupboards, etc.
Aluminium-kitchen utensils , electrical cables, 
etc.
By studying the properties of substances, we 
can select substances suitable for our purposes. 
The substances in everyday use are of two main 
kinds - natural and man-made substances.
1. Which three objects 
do you see in the 
picture ?
2. How did you identify 
them ?
3. What material are 
they made of ?
4. Can any one of these 
materials  be used to 
make all the three 
objects?    
Classify. 
Classify the following 
substances according to 
their uses.
Substances -  sand, soap, 
wool, window glass, 
bamboo, cotton, bricks, 
silk, leafy vegetables,  
cement, fruits, water, sugar.
Make a list of various objects 
in your house and note down the 
substances  they are made of.
6.1 : Different objects
6.
Substances in Daily Use
Can you recall ?
Try this.
Make a list of objects, each of 
which can be made from 
several substances.
Use your brain power !
Page 2


42
Substances and objects
All substances are made up of very small 
particles. Objects are made up of substances. 
Objects have a specific shape, their parts have a 
specific arrangement, by which we identify  them.  
We use wood, plastic or steel, to make a table, 
chair or cupboard. These substances have the 
strength required to make these articles. Also, these 
substances can be given a desired shape. It means 
that we consider the properties of substances to 
use them for making things.  
The same substance or material can be used 
to make many objects. Let us study some such 
examples. 
Cotton - cloth, fibre   or  thread, sarees,  
handkerchiefs,   quilts, mattresses, pillows, etc.
Iron  -  construction steel bars, griddles, 
(tawa), parts of automobiles, electric poles, tables, 
cupboards, etc.
Aluminium-kitchen utensils , electrical cables, 
etc.
By studying the properties of substances, we 
can select substances suitable for our purposes. 
The substances in everyday use are of two main 
kinds - natural and man-made substances.
1. Which three objects 
do you see in the 
picture ?
2. How did you identify 
them ?
3. What material are 
they made of ?
4. Can any one of these 
materials  be used to 
make all the three 
objects?    
Classify. 
Classify the following 
substances according to 
their uses.
Substances -  sand, soap, 
wool, window glass, 
bamboo, cotton, bricks, 
silk, leafy vegetables,  
cement, fruits, water, sugar.
Make a list of various objects 
in your house and note down the 
substances  they are made of.
6.1 : Different objects
6.
Substances in Daily Use
Can you recall ?
Try this.
Make a list of objects, each of 
which can be made from 
several substances.
Use your brain power !
43
1. What is  the difference between 
these two groups of natural 
substances - leather, jute, wool, 
cotton and water, soil, metals. 
Can you tell ?    
Natural substances
Substances available in nature 
are called natural substances. Of 
these, the substances of the first 
group are obtained from living things. 
Substances obtained from living 
things are called biotic substances. 
Air, soil, water are substances that 
are not obtained from living things. 
They are called abiotic substances.
2. How are leather and wool different 
from jute and cotton ?
Leather and wool are obtained 
from animals. They are of animal 
origin, whereas jute and cotton are 
substances of plant origin.
3. Do we find plastic, nylon, brass 
or cement in nature ?
Man-made substances
It is human nature to strive for 
newer things and to try to make  
life more comfortable. As a result 
of his efforts,  man not only learnt 
to use natural substances but also 
began to process them to make new 
substances. Several such substances 
are easier to use and can be made 
available in plenty at a low cost. 
Therefore, these substances came 
to be used on a large scale.  There 
are a great many such man-made 
substances in use today.
New substances produced by 
processing naturally available 
substances are called man-made 
substances.
Page 3


42
Substances and objects
All substances are made up of very small 
particles. Objects are made up of substances. 
Objects have a specific shape, their parts have a 
specific arrangement, by which we identify  them.  
We use wood, plastic or steel, to make a table, 
chair or cupboard. These substances have the 
strength required to make these articles. Also, these 
substances can be given a desired shape. It means 
that we consider the properties of substances to 
use them for making things.  
The same substance or material can be used 
to make many objects. Let us study some such 
examples. 
Cotton - cloth, fibre   or  thread, sarees,  
handkerchiefs,   quilts, mattresses, pillows, etc.
Iron  -  construction steel bars, griddles, 
(tawa), parts of automobiles, electric poles, tables, 
cupboards, etc.
Aluminium-kitchen utensils , electrical cables, 
etc.
By studying the properties of substances, we 
can select substances suitable for our purposes. 
The substances in everyday use are of two main 
kinds - natural and man-made substances.
1. Which three objects 
do you see in the 
picture ?
2. How did you identify 
them ?
3. What material are 
they made of ?
4. Can any one of these 
materials  be used to 
make all the three 
objects?    
Classify. 
Classify the following 
substances according to 
their uses.
Substances -  sand, soap, 
wool, window glass, 
bamboo, cotton, bricks, 
silk, leafy vegetables,  
cement, fruits, water, sugar.
Make a list of various objects 
in your house and note down the 
substances  they are made of.
6.1 : Different objects
6.
Substances in Daily Use
Can you recall ?
Try this.
Make a list of objects, each of 
which can be made from 
several substances.
Use your brain power !
43
1. What is  the difference between 
these two groups of natural 
substances - leather, jute, wool, 
cotton and water, soil, metals. 
Can you tell ?    
Natural substances
Substances available in nature 
are called natural substances. Of 
these, the substances of the first 
group are obtained from living things. 
Substances obtained from living 
things are called biotic substances. 
Air, soil, water are substances that 
are not obtained from living things. 
They are called abiotic substances.
2. How are leather and wool different 
from jute and cotton ?
Leather and wool are obtained 
from animals. They are of animal 
origin, whereas jute and cotton are 
substances of plant origin.
3. Do we find plastic, nylon, brass 
or cement in nature ?
Man-made substances
It is human nature to strive for 
newer things and to try to make  
life more comfortable. As a result 
of his efforts,  man not only learnt 
to use natural substances but also 
began to process them to make new 
substances. Several such substances 
are easier to use and can be made 
available in plenty at a low cost. 
Therefore, these substances came 
to be used on a large scale.  There 
are a great many such man-made 
substances in use today.
New substances produced by 
processing naturally available 
substances are called man-made 
substances.
44
Examples of man-made substances
Area of use
Natural 
substances
Man-made 
substances
Construction Bamboo, 
stone, soil, 
wood, 
coconut 
fronds, lime
Brick, cement 
concrete, 
galvanized 
sheets,  clay 
tiles, plastic/ 
asbestos sheets
Writing 
material
Tree bark,  
leaves,  
bhurjpatre, 
pens made 
from reeds,  
dhulpatya, 
stone slates,  
stone walls 
in caves,  
soil and 
colours 
made from 
plants
Pens, pencils 
made from 
plastic and 
metal,  paper, 
notebook, etc. 
Threads / 
Fibre / Yarn
Cotton, silk, 
wool
Nylon, rayon
Substances in daily use
Plant origin
Man-made
Abiotic
Leather
Complete the table below,   showing 
how substances of daily use are 
classified.
Classify.
Classify the various substances 
available in the house as natural  
and man-made substances.
Earlier irlis or capes made of  grass 
or sackcloth were used for protection from 
rain. Then cloth umbrellas came into use.  
Nowadays, the raincoat, school bags and 
the book covers you use can all be made 
from plastic.  
Delicate articles, perishable fruits, 
etc. require packing. To pack TV sets, 
refrigerators, etc. big cartons and thermocol 
are being used. All these are man-made 
substances. These substances are water 
proof or water resistant, lightweight and 
easy to transport. That is why, they are 
being used increasingly.
Use your brain power !
Glass can be made from sand and calcium carbonate. However, sand and  
calcium carbonate cannot be obtained again from glass. 
You must have observed green chillies or tomatoes turning red after some time. 
Have you ever seen or heard of red tomatoes becoming green again ?
While making man-made substances, the properties of the constituents undergo 
a change. This  change occurs due to certain chemical reactions. These changes 
in the properties are permanent, that is, the original constituent substances cannot 
be obtained again from the new substances. Such changes are called irreversible  changes.
Page 4


42
Substances and objects
All substances are made up of very small 
particles. Objects are made up of substances. 
Objects have a specific shape, their parts have a 
specific arrangement, by which we identify  them.  
We use wood, plastic or steel, to make a table, 
chair or cupboard. These substances have the 
strength required to make these articles. Also, these 
substances can be given a desired shape. It means 
that we consider the properties of substances to 
use them for making things.  
The same substance or material can be used 
to make many objects. Let us study some such 
examples. 
Cotton - cloth, fibre   or  thread, sarees,  
handkerchiefs,   quilts, mattresses, pillows, etc.
Iron  -  construction steel bars, griddles, 
(tawa), parts of automobiles, electric poles, tables, 
cupboards, etc.
Aluminium-kitchen utensils , electrical cables, 
etc.
By studying the properties of substances, we 
can select substances suitable for our purposes. 
The substances in everyday use are of two main 
kinds - natural and man-made substances.
1. Which three objects 
do you see in the 
picture ?
2. How did you identify 
them ?
3. What material are 
they made of ?
4. Can any one of these 
materials  be used to 
make all the three 
objects?    
Classify. 
Classify the following 
substances according to 
their uses.
Substances -  sand, soap, 
wool, window glass, 
bamboo, cotton, bricks, 
silk, leafy vegetables,  
cement, fruits, water, sugar.
Make a list of various objects 
in your house and note down the 
substances  they are made of.
6.1 : Different objects
6.
Substances in Daily Use
Can you recall ?
Try this.
Make a list of objects, each of 
which can be made from 
several substances.
Use your brain power !
43
1. What is  the difference between 
these two groups of natural 
substances - leather, jute, wool, 
cotton and water, soil, metals. 
Can you tell ?    
Natural substances
Substances available in nature 
are called natural substances. Of 
these, the substances of the first 
group are obtained from living things. 
Substances obtained from living 
things are called biotic substances. 
Air, soil, water are substances that 
are not obtained from living things. 
They are called abiotic substances.
2. How are leather and wool different 
from jute and cotton ?
Leather and wool are obtained 
from animals. They are of animal 
origin, whereas jute and cotton are 
substances of plant origin.
3. Do we find plastic, nylon, brass 
or cement in nature ?
Man-made substances
It is human nature to strive for 
newer things and to try to make  
life more comfortable. As a result 
of his efforts,  man not only learnt 
to use natural substances but also 
began to process them to make new 
substances. Several such substances 
are easier to use and can be made 
available in plenty at a low cost. 
Therefore, these substances came 
to be used on a large scale.  There 
are a great many such man-made 
substances in use today.
New substances produced by 
processing naturally available 
substances are called man-made 
substances.
44
Examples of man-made substances
Area of use
Natural 
substances
Man-made 
substances
Construction Bamboo, 
stone, soil, 
wood, 
coconut 
fronds, lime
Brick, cement 
concrete, 
galvanized 
sheets,  clay 
tiles, plastic/ 
asbestos sheets
Writing 
material
Tree bark,  
leaves,  
bhurjpatre, 
pens made 
from reeds,  
dhulpatya, 
stone slates,  
stone walls 
in caves,  
soil and 
colours 
made from 
plants
Pens, pencils 
made from 
plastic and 
metal,  paper, 
notebook, etc. 
Threads / 
Fibre / Yarn
Cotton, silk, 
wool
Nylon, rayon
Substances in daily use
Plant origin
Man-made
Abiotic
Leather
Complete the table below,   showing 
how substances of daily use are 
classified.
Classify.
Classify the various substances 
available in the house as natural  
and man-made substances.
Earlier irlis or capes made of  grass 
or sackcloth were used for protection from 
rain. Then cloth umbrellas came into use.  
Nowadays, the raincoat, school bags and 
the book covers you use can all be made 
from plastic.  
Delicate articles, perishable fruits, 
etc. require packing. To pack TV sets, 
refrigerators, etc. big cartons and thermocol 
are being used. All these are man-made 
substances. These substances are water 
proof or water resistant, lightweight and 
easy to transport. That is why, they are 
being used increasingly.
Use your brain power !
Glass can be made from sand and calcium carbonate. However, sand and  
calcium carbonate cannot be obtained again from glass. 
You must have observed green chillies or tomatoes turning red after some time. 
Have you ever seen or heard of red tomatoes becoming green again ?
While making man-made substances, the properties of the constituents undergo 
a change. This  change occurs due to certain chemical reactions. These changes 
in the properties are permanent, that is, the original constituent substances cannot 
be obtained again from the new substances. Such changes are called irreversible  changes.
45
In the past...
Charles Goodyear  
spilled a mixture of 
rubber and sulphur  on 
a burning stove. After the 
stove was extinguished, 
he noticed that the rubber 
had become harder and 
less elastic. He repeated 
this experiment in a 
systematic way and 
invented the process of 
‘vulcanization’. Hard 
and tough tyres of rubber 
made thenceforth brought 
about   a revolutionary 
change in transportation.
Rubber is a natural substance obtained by collecting 
the latex of a certain tree. Rubber trees are found in 
abundance in Brazil. Later, these trees were planted in 
other countries too.  The botanical name of this tree is 
‘Hevea brasiliensis’. In India, the maximum production 
of rubber is in Kerala.
???????? ????? ?
6.2 : The process of manufacturing paper
Logs of 
wood
Manufacturing paper
Production of substances
Rubber 
Rubber is of two types, natural and 
artificial. 
Natural rubber is obtained from the 
gum or sap  of trees. This sap is called 
‘latex’.  Rubber has a peculiar  odour 
and it is white in colour. 
Vulcanization of rubber
In this process, rubber is heated with 
sulphur for three to four hours. To give  
hardness to the rubber, sulphur is mixed 
in it. The proportion of sulphur in the  
mixture is determined by the purpose for 
which the rubber will be used.
Erasers, rubber balls, rubber toys all 
have varying proportions of sulphur in 
them. In rubber bands, the proportion of 
sulphur is very small. 
Do you know ?
Trees
Peeling the 
logs
(De-barking the 
logs)
Adding dyes
Pulp
Pressing the pulp
with rollers
Paper
Winding the 
paper on reels
Page 5


42
Substances and objects
All substances are made up of very small 
particles. Objects are made up of substances. 
Objects have a specific shape, their parts have a 
specific arrangement, by which we identify  them.  
We use wood, plastic or steel, to make a table, 
chair or cupboard. These substances have the 
strength required to make these articles. Also, these 
substances can be given a desired shape. It means 
that we consider the properties of substances to 
use them for making things.  
The same substance or material can be used 
to make many objects. Let us study some such 
examples. 
Cotton - cloth, fibre   or  thread, sarees,  
handkerchiefs,   quilts, mattresses, pillows, etc.
Iron  -  construction steel bars, griddles, 
(tawa), parts of automobiles, electric poles, tables, 
cupboards, etc.
Aluminium-kitchen utensils , electrical cables, 
etc.
By studying the properties of substances, we 
can select substances suitable for our purposes. 
The substances in everyday use are of two main 
kinds - natural and man-made substances.
1. Which three objects 
do you see in the 
picture ?
2. How did you identify 
them ?
3. What material are 
they made of ?
4. Can any one of these 
materials  be used to 
make all the three 
objects?    
Classify. 
Classify the following 
substances according to 
their uses.
Substances -  sand, soap, 
wool, window glass, 
bamboo, cotton, bricks, 
silk, leafy vegetables,  
cement, fruits, water, sugar.
Make a list of various objects 
in your house and note down the 
substances  they are made of.
6.1 : Different objects
6.
Substances in Daily Use
Can you recall ?
Try this.
Make a list of objects, each of 
which can be made from 
several substances.
Use your brain power !
43
1. What is  the difference between 
these two groups of natural 
substances - leather, jute, wool, 
cotton and water, soil, metals. 
Can you tell ?    
Natural substances
Substances available in nature 
are called natural substances. Of 
these, the substances of the first 
group are obtained from living things. 
Substances obtained from living 
things are called biotic substances. 
Air, soil, water are substances that 
are not obtained from living things. 
They are called abiotic substances.
2. How are leather and wool different 
from jute and cotton ?
Leather and wool are obtained 
from animals. They are of animal 
origin, whereas jute and cotton are 
substances of plant origin.
3. Do we find plastic, nylon, brass 
or cement in nature ?
Man-made substances
It is human nature to strive for 
newer things and to try to make  
life more comfortable. As a result 
of his efforts,  man not only learnt 
to use natural substances but also 
began to process them to make new 
substances. Several such substances 
are easier to use and can be made 
available in plenty at a low cost. 
Therefore, these substances came 
to be used on a large scale.  There 
are a great many such man-made 
substances in use today.
New substances produced by 
processing naturally available 
substances are called man-made 
substances.
44
Examples of man-made substances
Area of use
Natural 
substances
Man-made 
substances
Construction Bamboo, 
stone, soil, 
wood, 
coconut 
fronds, lime
Brick, cement 
concrete, 
galvanized 
sheets,  clay 
tiles, plastic/ 
asbestos sheets
Writing 
material
Tree bark,  
leaves,  
bhurjpatre, 
pens made 
from reeds,  
dhulpatya, 
stone slates,  
stone walls 
in caves,  
soil and 
colours 
made from 
plants
Pens, pencils 
made from 
plastic and 
metal,  paper, 
notebook, etc. 
Threads / 
Fibre / Yarn
Cotton, silk, 
wool
Nylon, rayon
Substances in daily use
Plant origin
Man-made
Abiotic
Leather
Complete the table below,   showing 
how substances of daily use are 
classified.
Classify.
Classify the various substances 
available in the house as natural  
and man-made substances.
Earlier irlis or capes made of  grass 
or sackcloth were used for protection from 
rain. Then cloth umbrellas came into use.  
Nowadays, the raincoat, school bags and 
the book covers you use can all be made 
from plastic.  
Delicate articles, perishable fruits, 
etc. require packing. To pack TV sets, 
refrigerators, etc. big cartons and thermocol 
are being used. All these are man-made 
substances. These substances are water 
proof or water resistant, lightweight and 
easy to transport. That is why, they are 
being used increasingly.
Use your brain power !
Glass can be made from sand and calcium carbonate. However, sand and  
calcium carbonate cannot be obtained again from glass. 
You must have observed green chillies or tomatoes turning red after some time. 
Have you ever seen or heard of red tomatoes becoming green again ?
While making man-made substances, the properties of the constituents undergo 
a change. This  change occurs due to certain chemical reactions. These changes 
in the properties are permanent, that is, the original constituent substances cannot 
be obtained again from the new substances. Such changes are called irreversible  changes.
45
In the past...
Charles Goodyear  
spilled a mixture of 
rubber and sulphur  on 
a burning stove. After the 
stove was extinguished, 
he noticed that the rubber 
had become harder and 
less elastic. He repeated 
this experiment in a 
systematic way and 
invented the process of 
‘vulcanization’. Hard 
and tough tyres of rubber 
made thenceforth brought 
about   a revolutionary 
change in transportation.
Rubber is a natural substance obtained by collecting 
the latex of a certain tree. Rubber trees are found in 
abundance in Brazil. Later, these trees were planted in 
other countries too.  The botanical name of this tree is 
‘Hevea brasiliensis’. In India, the maximum production 
of rubber is in Kerala.
???????? ????? ?
6.2 : The process of manufacturing paper
Logs of 
wood
Manufacturing paper
Production of substances
Rubber 
Rubber is of two types, natural and 
artificial. 
Natural rubber is obtained from the 
gum or sap  of trees. This sap is called 
‘latex’.  Rubber has a peculiar  odour 
and it is white in colour. 
Vulcanization of rubber
In this process, rubber is heated with 
sulphur for three to four hours. To give  
hardness to the rubber, sulphur is mixed 
in it. The proportion of sulphur in the  
mixture is determined by the purpose for 
which the rubber will be used.
Erasers, rubber balls, rubber toys all 
have varying proportions of sulphur in 
them. In rubber bands, the proportion of 
sulphur is very small. 
Do you know ?
Trees
Peeling the 
logs
(De-barking the 
logs)
Adding dyes
Pulp
Pressing the pulp
with rollers
Paper
Winding the 
paper on reels
46
Always remember...
1. Do not tear up blank pages 
of a notebook. Do not throw 
away old notebooks with 
blank pages. 
2. The blank sides of advertising 
pamphlets, inner side of postal 
envelopes, the blank sides of 
of calendars pages and other 
such writable surfaces can be 
used to make notes, lists, to 
cover books, etc. Do not throw 
away or burn up such paper 
until  it has been fully utilized 
like this.
3. Whenever possible, try to use 
a pencil and slate.
4. Cooperate with people who 
collect  paper from garbage or 
buy scrap paper. These people 
help in the proper recycling of 
resources.
Find out.
1. Where was the process of 
making paper invented ?
2. What kind of paper is used for 
our textbooks. What size is it ?
3. How is paper for currency 
notes manufactured ?
Silk is a natural thread  or fibre 
obtained from the 
cocoons of silk 
worms. From one 
cocoon, 500 metres to 
1300 metres of thread 
can be obtained.  It 
is said that silk was first produced 
on a large scale in China.
Paper
Paper is the substance or material formed due 
to the intertwining of the cellulose fibres in grass, 
wood, rags or waste paper. Thus, paper is a kind 
of network of cellulose fibres.
How is paper made ?
Coniferous trees like pine are used to make 
paper. The bark of the logs of these trees is first 
removed and the wood is broken into small pieces. 
The mixture of these pieces and some chemicals 
is kept soaking for a long time.  It helps to form 
pulp. When the chemical process is completed, the 
fibrous substances from wood pulp are separated, 
and some dyes are added. The pulp is then passed 
through rollers, dried to form paper and finally 
wound on reels. 
Paper and wood are closely related. To save 
trees, it is necessary to use paper sparingly. 
Do you know ?
In India, the first factory to manufacture 
newsprint (paper to be used for newspapers) 
was established at Nepanagar in Madhya 
Pradesh  in 1955. Paper is also manufactured at 
Songardh  in Gujarat. In Maharashtra, there is 
a paper factory at Ballarpur near Chandrapur.
Can you tell ?    
Synthetic fibres or threads
1. From which substances in nature can we get 
threads or fibre?
2. What are clothes made from ?
From the time it was first thought that 
artificial yarn could be produced to meet the 
clothing needs of an increasing population, 
much research and progress has taken place 
in this field. Innumerable kinds of synthetic  
or artificial threads are now available. Nylon, 
dacron, terylene, terene, polyester, rayon are 
the names of various synthetic threads. 
Do you know ?