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NCERT Solutions Curiosity Chapter 1 What will we explore with the help of this book? — In-text Questions

Book page 2 & 3 Updated on2026-09-05

Q1.
What will we explore with the help of this book?
Answer

The chapter itself gives the route map. We begin at our own home — planet Earth — and slowly travel outwards to the stars.

ThemeThe kind of questions we will ask
Earth and its environmentWhy is Earth the only planet we know that supports life? How must we protect its environment?
The variety of lifeHow does a seed become a plant? How does a caterpillar become a butterfly? How do plants and animals survive in deserts, forests and coasts?
FoodIndia has so many cuisines — what are the dishes made of? How can we find out what a food contains?
WaterWhy and how does it rain? Why does water turn into ice on cooling and into steam on heating?
Hot and coldHow do we measure how hot something is — a glass of water, or our body during fever?
Materials around usWhat are paper, metal, plastic, rubber, cloth and a magnet made of? How do we separate one material from another?
Motion and lightHow do things move? What is the structure of a leaf? How do we separate the skin of a peanut seed?
Beyond the EarthThe Sun, the Moon and the millions of stars in the sky.
The most important idea on this page: as we discover more and more, we start realising that all these ideas are connected. Rain is about water and heat; food is about plants and materials. Science is one subject, not eight separate lists.
Q2.
How do these plants and animals grow?
Answer

Every living thing grows by taking in food, using it to build new parts of its body, and adding cells little by little. But plants and animals do it in different ways.

 PlantsAnimals
Where the food comes fromThey make their own food in their green leaves using sunlight, water from the soil and air.They cannot make food; they eat plants or other animals.
What else is neededWater, air, sunlight, minerals from the soil, warmthFood, water, air, warmth, shelter
How growth showsRoots go deeper, stem gets taller and thicker, new leaves, flowers and fruits appearBody becomes longer, taller and heavier; some animals change form completely
When it stopsMany plants keep growing all their lifeMost animals stop growing once they become adults

What you can observe: the two pictures in your book show it beautifully.

  • A seed soaks up water, splits open, sends a root down and a shoot up, and becomes a young plant.
  • A caterpillar eats leaves greedily, grows, then rests inside a case and finally comes out as a butterfly. Such a complete change of form is called metamorphosis.
Why growth needs food: a body cannot make new parts out of nothing. Food supplies both the raw material for the new parts and the energy needed to build them — exactly as a mason needs both bricks and strength to raise a wall.
Try This: Soak five gram (chana) seeds overnight, keep them on wet cotton in a bowl and place it near a window. Measure the shoot with a scale every morning for a week and draw a small chart. You will have observed growth with your own eyes.
Q3.
Across the country, we have different cuisines with their many tasty dishes. What are they made of? How do we find out?
Answer

What they are made of: however different two Indian dishes look, they are built from the same small set of food components.

ComponentWhat it does for usIndian foods rich in it
CarbohydratesGive energyrice, chapati, potato, jaggery
ProteinsBuild the body and repair itdal, rajma, paneer, egg, fish
FatsGive a lot of energy and store itghee, mustard oil, groundnut, butter
Vitamins and mineralsProtect us from diseases; make bones and bloodamla, guava, spinach, milk, banana
Dietary fibre and waterKeep digestion smoothsalad, whole grains, fruits, drinking water

How we find out — by testing, not by guessing. Simple tests you will do later in this book:

  • Starch test — put a drop of iodine solution on a bit of boiled rice or potato. It turns blue-black if starch is present.
  • Fat test — rub the food on a piece of paper and let it dry. An oily patch that lets light through means fat is present. Try it with a peanut and with a piece of apple, and compare.
  • Protein test — a few drops of copper sulphate solution and caustic soda solution on a food paste give a violet colour if protein is present.
Why this matters in an Indian kitchen: a plate of only rice gives energy but not enough body-building material. That is why a traditional thali pairs rice or roti with dal (protein), a vegetable (vitamins and minerals), curd (protein and calcium) and a little ghee (fat). Our grandmothers arrived at a balanced diet long before the tests were invented — the tests only explain why it works.
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