Selecting the right materials
There are many differences between the materials that we use in everyday life.
Watch: Learn more about materials.
Have a think about choosing the right material to clean up a spillage.
Why do you think this hammer is made from metal and not from glass?
If the hammer was made from glass it would break when you hit a nail.
Properties
Properties help us describe materials. We can group materials together based on their properties.
| Item | Material | Properties |
|---|---|---|
| Clothes | Fabric | Soft |
| Kitchen worktops | Stone, Plastic | Hard, don't scratch easily |
| Jewellery | Metal | Shiny |
| Windows | Glass | A material that we can see through, like glass, is transparent. |
| Water bottles | Plastic | Waterproof |
| Towels | Cotton | Soaks water up easily |
Activities
Test yourself on materials with the activities below.
Activity 1: Quiz
Activity 2: I spy…
It's time to play I spy with objects and materials.
You have to find an object and tell everyone the material it is made from. Can they guess the object?
For example, you might say "I spy with my little eye, something made from rubber" if you've seen a ball.
Play Bitesize Primary games. game
Fun and educational primary games in science, maths, English, history, geography, art and design, computing and modern languages.
More on Everyday materials
Find out more by working through a topic
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