NCERT Solutions for Class 3 EVS Chapter 10: This World of Things – Free PDF Download

Chapter 10 of Our Wondrous World (Class 3 EVS) is This World of Things. It looks at the everyday objects around us, the materials they are made of, and how transparent, translucent and opaque objects behave differently with light. These Class 3 EVS Chapter 10 solutions are also useful as quick revision notes before exams.

Observing the Objects Around Us

Q: Where do the objects in Khushi’s classroom drawing come from, and who makes them?
A: In the textbook, Khushi draws a picture of her classroom, labelling objects like the desk, books, clock, pencils, globe and window. All these objects are made from materials found around us, and are made by different people (craftspeople). The textbook also notes that the glass of the window doesn’t show up directly in the drawing because it is transparent — you can see straight through it.

What Materials Are Objects Made Of?

Q: What materials are the objects around us made of, and where does wood come from?
A: According to the textbook, the objects around us are made of materials like plastic, metal, wood, fibres and bricks. A classroom mat is made of cloth, a light bulb is made of glass and metal, and an electric switch is made of plastic and metal. Wood comes to us from trees.

Transparent, Translucent and Opaque Objects

Q: What do we learn by holding objects like a bottle, paper, cloth and utensil in front of a burning candle?
A: The textbook explains that we can see completely through some objects (like glass), only partly/hazily through others, and not at all through some objects. Based on this, objects are grouped into three categories: transparent, translucent and opaque. Through a home’s window glass, we can clearly see trees, rocks, birds and everything outside, because glass is transparent.

What Changes When We Look Through Coloured Objects

Q: What change is seen when white paper is placed behind a coloured transparent bag, bottle or cloth?
A: According to the textbook’s experiment, placing white paper behind thin blue plastic or glass makes the paper look blue, and looking through thin yellow plastic makes it look yellow. Similarly, looking at a blue object through thin yellow plastic makes it appear green. Looking through red cellophane makes grass appear red-green, through blue cellophane trees appear blue-green, and through green cellophane everything in a room appears green. This shows that looking through coloured transparent objects changes how the true colour appears to us.

Grouping Objects and Where Their Materials Come From

Q: How are objects grouped based on their material, and where do these materials actually come from?
A: The textbook gives a table that groups objects by material — metal, wood, glass, plastic and cloth; new rows can be added to the table for other materials like clay and rubber. Metals are obtained from rocks and minerals (ore) dug from the earth, while cloth is made from cotton, wool, or human-made (synthetic) fibres.

Materials Changing Over Time

Q: Were objects made of the same materials when our grandparents were children?
A: The textbook encourages children to ask their grandparents what materials objects were made of during their childhood, and whether some new materials (like modern plastics) exist today that didn’t exist before. In many families, a neem twig (datun) was earlier used for cleaning teeth, while toothbrushes are common today — showing that both materials and habits change over time.

Why Choosing the Right Material Matters

Q: How can we find out whether a shiny spoon is made of real metal or is another material painted to look shiny?
A: The textbook explains that the spoon can be gently tapped against something made of metal or stone — if it makes a ringing (“ting-ting”) sound, it is made of metal, and if it makes a dull, heavy (“thud-thud”) sound, it may be made of another material like plastic or wood. Similarly, a table cannot be made of cloth or rubber, because a table needs strong, hard and firm material, while cloth and rubber are not hard enough.

Natural and Human-Made Objects

Q: What is the difference between natural and human-made (artificial) objects, and how can looking at a picture of mangoes help guess the month of the year?
A: Things like a lake, river, mountain, sea, rainbow and sunrise/sunset are natural, while things like a table, book, TV, car, house and roads are human-made (artificial) objects. The textbook also teaches that some plants only bear fruit and flowers at particular times of the year — for example, mangoes are mainly available in May and June, so a picture showing ripe mangoes suggests it is around that time of year.

Let’s Reflect (a) Write

Q: Name three materials that the objects around us are commonly made of.
A: Metal, plastic, wood and fibre are materials commonly found around us, used to make most everyday objects.

(b) Discuss

Q: How can we find out what material an object is really made of?
A: We can gently tap the object against metal or stone and listen to the sound it makes — a sharp, clear (ting-ting) sound suggests metal, while a heavy, muffled (thud-thud) sound suggests another material. We can also touch the object to feel its texture (smooth/rough), coolness and shine.

(c) Draw and (d) Match

Q: How can three natural and three artificial objects be drawn, and how are transparent, translucent and opaque objects correctly matched?
A: For natural objects, examples like a mountain, river and sun can be chosen and drawn in colour; for artificial objects, examples like a house, chair and bicycle can be drawn. When matching, the glass in spectacles is placed in the transparent category, a paper lampshade in the translucent category, and a plate in the opaque category — since you can see fully, partly, and not at all through each of these, respectively.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between transparent, translucent and opaque objects?
You can see completely through transparent objects (like glass), only partly through translucent ones (like a paper lampshade), and not at all through opaque ones (like a plate).

Name some materials objects around us are made of.
Metal, wood, glass, plastic, cloth and clay are common materials, according to the chapter.

How can you test whether a shiny spoon is real metal?
Tap it gently against a metal or stone surface — a ringing sound indicates metal, while a dull sound suggests another material.

Written by Satish

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