NCERT Solutions for Class 6th Science Chapter 9 Methods of Separation in Everyday Life
Updated on 2026-09-19
About this chapter
The chapter travels with Malli and Valli across India — Haryana, Ahmedabad, Puducherry, Bhopal and Shillong — and at every halt they meet one more way of separating a mixture (two or more substances mixed together). Solid–solid mixtures are separated by handpicking (difference in size, colour and shape), threshing (beating stalks to free the grain), winnowing (difference in weight, using wind) and sieving (difference in particle size). Solid–liquid mixtures are separated by sedimentation (heavier insoluble particles settle), decantation (the liquid is gently poured off) and filtration (the liquid passes through fine pores, the solid stays back as residue and the liquid collected is the filtrate ). A dissolved solid cannot be filtered out. It is recovered by evaporation — as in the salt pan
- Chapter opening
- Rubbing and blowing roasted peanuts
- Separating grains from husk
- Winnowing indoors, and sieving the atta
- Sabarmati Ashram, and where common salt comes from
- Drops of salt solution on black paper
- Heating salt solution in a china dish
- Dada makes tea
- Filtering muddy water through a filter paper
- Building a low-cost water filter
Quick revision
| Method | What it separates | Property it uses | Everyday Indian example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Handpicking | Solid from solid, when one is present in a small quantity | Difference in size, colour and shape | Picking small stones out of rice or dal; taking whole black pepper out of pulao |
| Threshing | Grain from the stalks of the harvested crop | The grain is loosely attached and is knocked free by beating | Farmers beating wheat stalks on a wooden log; a thresher machine |
| Winnowing | Lighter husk from heavier grain | Difference in weight — wind carries the light part away | Dropping threshed wheat from a soop (bamboo tray) in the wind |
| Sieving | Two solids whose particles are of different sizes | Difference in particle size versus the pore size of the sieve | Sifting chokar (bran) out of atta; sieving pebbles from sand at a building site |
| Sedimentation | A heavy insoluble solid from a liquid (first step) | Difference in density — heavier particles sink | Tea leaves settling at the bottom of the pan; mud settling in a pot of pond water |
| Decantation | The clear liquid from the settled solid, or two liquids that do not mix | Difference in density; the sediment stays behind on tilting | Pouring off tea without a strainer; washing rice and dal; oil floating over water |
| Filtration | An insoluble solid from a liquid, completely | Difference in size — the solid is bigger than the pores of the filter | A tea strainer; a muslin cloth over a pot; a filter paper in a funnel |
| Evaporation | A dissolved solid from its solution | The liquid changes to vapour; the dissolved solid does not | Salt from seawater in shallow salt pans; drying herbs in the shade for kadha |
| Condensation | Water back from the water vapour | Cooling turns vapour into liquid | Water droplets on a lid held over a boiling kettle |
| Churning | Butter (lighter) from curd | Difference in density — fat globules join and float | Beating curd with a mathni; a mixer or an electric churner making chhach |
| Magnetic separation | Magnetic substances from non-magnetic ones | Difference in magnetic property | Lifting iron nails out of sawdust with a magnet; recyclers pulling scrap iron from waste |
Exercises
- Chapter opening — In-text Questions Page 163–164
- Rubbing and blowing roasted peanuts — Activity 9.1: Let us explore Page 165
- Separating grains from husk — In-text Questions Page 165
- Winnowing indoors, and sieving the atta — In-text Questions Page 166–167
- Sabarmati Ashram, and where common salt comes from — In-text Questions Page 167–168
- Drops of salt solution on black paper — Activity 9.2: Let us observe and create Page 168
- Heating salt solution in a china dish — Activity 9.3: Let us investigate Page 169
- Dada makes tea — In-text Questions Page 170–171
- Filtering muddy water through a filter paper — Activity 9.4: Let us experiment Page 171
- Building a low-cost water filter — Activity 9.5: Let us design and create Page 172
- River pollution, churning at the dhaba, and the carpenter’s magnet — In-text Questions Page 173–174
- Two baskets — Activity 9.6: Let us play Page 175–176
- Tank 1: methods · Tank 2: what each one does — Play a Game — WISE FISH Page 177–178
- Exercise questions 1 to 10 — Let us enhance our learning Page 178–180
- Projects, play and thinking like a scientist — Learning further Page 180–181