Materials Around Us

Any substance that is used to create an object is referred to as material.

How to Group Materials?

The method of arranging the objects into groups is called classification. Objects can be classified on the basis of a common property that they have. Similarly, materials can be classified based on certain properties.

Properties of Materials

1. Lustrous or Non-lustrous

Materials that typically have shiny surfaces are said to have a lustrous appearance. Such materials with lustre are usually metals. Examples of metals include iron, copper, zinc, aluminium, gold, etc. However, some metals may lose their lustre and start to look dull or non-lustrous due to the effect of air and moisture on them. As a result, we often notice the lustre only on their freshly cut surfaces.

Non-lustrous materials are those that do not have a shiny surface. Some examples of non-lustrous materials are paper, wood, rubber, jute, etc.

2. Soft or Hard

Materials which can be compressed or scratched easily are soft, while other materials which are difficult to compress or scratch are hard.

3. Transparent, Opaque or Translucent

The materials, through which things can be seen clearly, are called transparent. Glass, water, air, cellophane paper, etc., are some examples of transparent materials. There are many materials through which you are not able to see at all. These materials are called opaque. Wood, cardboard and metals are examples of opaque materials. The materials through which objects can be seen, but not clearly, are known as translucent. Butter paper and frosted glass are examples of translucent materials.

4. Soluble or Insoluble in Water

Some materials completely disappear when mixed in water. These materials dissolve in water or soluble in water. Some materials do not mix with water and do not disappear even after we stir them for a long time. These materials are insoluble in water.

5. Heavy or Light (Mass)

Any object which is heavier or lighter can be measured in terms of a property called mass. The one which is heavier has more mass and the one which is lighter has less mass.

6. Space and Volume

The space occupied by water represents its volume.

What is Matter?

Mass and volume are the two properties that are possessed by all materials. Anything that occupies space and has mass is called matter.

The mass gives the quantity of matter, and the units to measure it are gram (g) and kilogram (kg). The space occupied by matter is its volume. The units to measure the volume are litre (L) and millilitre (mL).