Methods of Separation in Everyday Life — Class 6 Science NCERT Solutions (Free)
Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 6 Science chapter "Methods of Separation in Everyday Life" — 8 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE board exam preparation.
TL;DR: Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 6 Science chapter "Methods of Separation in Everyday Life" — 8 important questions with detailed answers f…
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NCERT Solutions for Class 6 Science — Methods of Separation in Everyday Life. Step-by-step answers to all 8 textbook questions from this chapter, written for CBSE board preparation and free to use.
Methods of Separation in Everyday Life — All 8 Questions Solved
Q1. What is a mixture? Distinguish between homogeneous and heterogeneous mixtures.
A mixture is formed when two or more substances are mixed together without any chemical change. Homogeneous mixture: components are uniformly distributed and cannot be seen separately (example: salt solution). Heterogeneous mixture: components are not uniformly distributed and can be seen separately (example: sand and water).
Q2. What is handpicking? Give two examples where it is used.
Handpicking is a separation method where we manually pick out one component from a mixture using our hands. Examples:
- Removing stones from grains of rice or lentils
- Removing bad apples from a basket of fresh apples
- Picking out insects from vegetables
It works best when the components are different in size and appearance.
Q3. Explain the sieving method with an example.
Sieving is used to separate components of different sizes using a sieve (a container with small holes). The smaller particles pass through the holes and are collected below, while larger particles are retained on the sieve. Example: separating wheat flour of different grain sizes, separating sand of different particle sizes.
Q4. What is the principle behind filtration? When is it used?
Filtration separates a solid from a liquid using a filter paper or cloth. The liquid passes through the tiny pores, while solid particles are retained. It is used when:
- Separating sediment from water
- Removing impurities from sugar solution
- Separating tea leaves from tea
- Cleaning air in air filters
Q5. Describe the distillation process. What is it used for?
Distillation is used to separate a liquid from a mixture by heating and cooling. When a mixture is heated, the more volatile liquid evaporates, forming vapour. This vapour is cooled and condensed back into liquid in a separate container. Distillation is used to separate salt from salt water or to obtain pure water from saltwater.
Q6. How does decantation work? Give one example.
Decantation is a separation method where a liquid is carefully poured off from a solid that has settled at the bottom of a container. This works because the solid is heavier and sinks due to gravity. Example: pouring oil off from a mixture of oil and water where oil floats on top, or pouring clear water after sand has settled.
Q7. What is chromatography? How does it separate mixtures?
Chromatography separates components of a mixture based on their different rates of movement through a medium. When a drop of mixture is placed on filter paper and a solvent moves through it, different components move different distances based on their solubility. This creates visible bands of separated colours. It is used to separate dyes and pigments.
Q8. Why is it important to separate mixtures in everyday life?
Separating mixtures is important because:
- It helps purify substances for use (water purification)
- It enables recycling of materials (separating waste)
- It allows extraction of useful substances (separating salt from seawater)
- It improves quality of food and other products
- It helps remove harmful impurities and contaminants
Methods of Separation in Everyday Life — Practice MCQs with Answers
Attempt these 20 multiple-choice questions after working through the solutions above. Each carries the correct option and the reasoning behind it, so a wrong answer tells you which idea to revisit.
MCQ 1. Which method is best suited to separate small stones from a pile of rice or pulses?
- A. Threshing
- B. Winnowing
- C. Handpicking
- D. Sieving
Answer: C. Handpicking — Handpicking is used when the components to be separated are visible, in relatively small quantities, and can be picked out manually.
MCQ 2. The process of separating grains from stalks after harvesting is known as:
- A. Winnowing
- B. Threshing
- C. Sieving
- D. Handpicking
Answer: B. Threshing — Threshing is the method used to beat out the grains from the harvested stalks of crops, separating them from the chaff and straw.
MCQ 3. Which separation method relies on the difference in weight between two components, using wind or air currents to carry away the lighter particles?
- A. Sedimentation
- B. Decantation
- C. Winnowing
- D. Filtration
Answer: C. Winnowing — Winnowing is used to separate lighter husk particles from heavier grain particles by blowing air through the mixture, making it an effective method for agricultural produce.
MCQ 4. To separate fine flour from larger bran particles, a housewife typically uses which method?
- A. Handpicking
- B. Threshing
- C. Sieving
- D. Evaporation
Answer: C. Sieving — Sieving allows smaller particles like fine flour to pass through the holes of a sieve, while retaining larger particles like bran or impurities.
MCQ 5. You have a mixture of sand and water. Which sequence of methods would you use to obtain clean water and separate sand?
- A. Evaporation, then filtration
- B. Decantation, then handpicking
- C. Sedimentation, then decantation
- D. Filtration, then evaporation
Answer: C. Sedimentation, then decantation — Sedimentation allows the heavier sand particles to settle down at the bottom, and then decantation is used to carefully pour off the clear water, leaving the settled sand behind.
MCQ 6. What method is used to separate tea leaves from prepared tea?
- A. Evaporation
- B. Condensation
- C. Filtration
- D. Winnowing
Answer: C. Filtration — Filtration uses a filter (like a tea strainer) to separate insoluble solid particles (tea leaves) from a liquid (prepared tea).
MCQ 7. How is common salt obtained from seawater on a large scale?
- A. Filtration
- B. Decantation
- C. Evaporation
- D. Condensation
Answer: C. Evaporation — Seawater is allowed to stand in shallow pits, where the water evaporates due to sunlight, leaving the dissolved solid salt behind.
MCQ 8. To obtain pure water from a salt solution, which two methods must be used in sequence?
- A. Sedimentation and Decantation
- B. Evaporation and Condensation
- C. Filtration and Handpicking
- D. Winnowing and Sieving
Answer: B. Evaporation and Condensation — First, evaporation separates water as vapour from the salt, and then condensation collects this water vapour, turning it back into pure liquid water.
MCQ 9. Which property is primarily used for separating substances by winnowing?
- A. Difference in colour
- B. Difference in size
- C. Difference in weight (or density)
- D. Difference in magnetism
Answer: C. Difference in weight (or density) — Winnowing works because the lighter component (like husk) is carried away by the wind, while the heavier component (like grain) falls straight down.
MCQ 10. Why is it important to separate unwanted substances from useful ones in everyday life?
- A. To increase their weight
- B. To make them look prettier
- C. To make them usable and safe
- D. To save space
Answer: C. To make them usable and safe — Separating unwanted or harmful substances ensures that the useful component is clean, safe, and fit for its intended purpose, whether for consumption or other uses.
MCQ 11. At a construction site, large pebbles are separated from sand using a large mesh. This process is an example of:
- A. Handpicking
- B. Threshing
- C. Sieving
- D. Winnowing
Answer: C. Sieving — Sieving is used to separate components of different sizes by passing them through a mesh or sieve, where smaller particles pass through and larger ones are retained.
MCQ 12. What is the key difference between sedimentation and decantation?
- A. Sedimentation is for liquids, decantation is for solids.
- B. Sedimentation is the settling of heavier particles, while decantation is pouring off the clear liquid without disturbing the settled particles.
- C. Decantation is faster than sedimentation.
- D. Sedimentation is only for insoluble substances, decantation is for soluble ones.
Answer: B. Sedimentation is the settling of heavier particles, while decantation is pouring off the clear liquid without disturbing the settled particles. — Sedimentation describes the process where heavier insoluble particles settle at the bottom, whereas decantation is the act of carefully pouring out the clear liquid layer from the top, leaving the settled solids behind.
MCQ 13. Why is filtration generally preferred over decantation when separating very fine suspended impurities from water?
- A. Decantation is too slow.
- B. Filtration can remove even very small insoluble particles that might not settle completely by sedimentation.
- C. Decantation requires special equipment.
- D. Filtration adds flavour to the water.
Answer: B. Filtration can remove even very small insoluble particles that might not settle completely by sedimentation. — Filtration is more effective at removing very fine suspended particles that might remain suspended even after sedimentation, providing a much clearer separation than decantation alone.
MCQ 14. You have a mixture of iron filings, sand, and salt. What is the correct sequence of methods to separate all three components?
- A. Evaporation, Magnet, Filtration
- B. Magnet, Dissolving in water, Filtration, Evaporation
- C. Filtration, Magnet, Decantation
- D. Decantation, Evaporation, Magnet
Answer: B. Magnet, Dissolving in water, Filtration, Evaporation — First, use a magnet to separate iron filings. Then, dissolve the salt in water (sand remains undissolved). Filter to separate sand from salt solution. Finally, evaporate the water from the solution to obtain salt.
MCQ 15. When your mother cleans 'dal' (lentils) before cooking, she often removes small stones or dirt particles. Which method of separation is she primarily using?
- A. Sieving
- B. Winnowing
- C. Handpicking
- D. Decantation
Answer: C. Handpicking — She is visually identifying and manually removing the unwanted particles from the dal, which is the definition of handpicking.
MCQ 16. Which method is best suited for separating small stones from rice grains before cooking?
- A. Sieving
- B. Handpicking
- C. Winnowing
- D. Threshing
Answer: B. Handpicking — Handpicking is used when the components of a mixture are visible and differ in size, color, or shape, making it easy to pick out the unwanted substance.
MCQ 17. Farmers separate grains from their stalks by a process known as:
- A. Winnowing
- B. Sieving
- C. Threshing
- D. Handpicking
Answer: C. Threshing — Threshing is the process used to separate the grain from the stalks and the husks, often done by beating the stalks or using machines.
MCQ 18. To separate lighter husk particles from heavier wheat grains, a farmer would most likely use which method?
- A. Sedimentation
- B. Winnowing
- C. Filtration
- D. Evaporation
Answer: B. Winnowing — Winnowing uses the force of wind to separate lighter components (like husk) from heavier components (like grains), which fall vertically.
MCQ 19. What method would a construction worker use to separate small pebbles and sand from larger stones at a building site?
- A. Handpicking
- B. Winnowing
- C. Sieving
- D. Decantation
Answer: C. Sieving — Sieving is suitable for separating components of a mixture that have different sizes using a sieve with appropriate mesh openings.
MCQ 20. When muddy water is left undisturbed, the mud settles down at the bottom. This process is called:
- A. Filtration
- B. Decantation
- C. Sedimentation
- D. Evaporation
Answer: C. Sedimentation — Sedimentation is the process where heavier insoluble particles in a liquid settle down at the bottom due to gravity.
How to Use These Solutions
Attempt each question yourself first and only then compare with the worked answer. Marks in the CBSE board exam are awarded for the METHOD as much as the final result, so reproduce the steps rather than memorising the last line. Where a solution states a law, a formula or a definition, learn that wording — examiners look for it.
Related practice for this chapter: chapter MCQs, previous-year questions, revision notes and sample papers.