Q1.
Write the following phrases on small slips of paper — 1. Separating small stones from pulses. 2. Churning curd to obtain butter. 3. Taking out green chillies from cooked dalia or poha. 4. Taking out seeds from watermelon. 5. Sorting piles of sawdust and iron nails from a mixed heap of building material. 6. Picking marigold flowers from a heap of other flowers to make a garland. 7. Separating pebbles from sand. 8. Separating coconut pieces from rice flour. 9. Separating oil from water. 10. Separating salt from salt solution. Now, take two baskets, each representing one of the two purposes for which we separate substances. Form two teams and see who will get the maximum correct entries.
Answer
The two baskets are labelled:
- Basket A — “To remove any one of the components that is not useful.”
- Basket B — “To separate two different but useful components.”
| # | Phrase | Basket | Method used |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Separating small stones from pulses | A — stones are useless and harmful | Handpicking |
| 2 | Churning curd to obtain butter | B — butter and buttermilk are both used | Churning |
| 3 | Taking out green chillies from dalia or poha | A — the chilli is removed as unwanted | Handpicking |
| 4 | Taking out seeds from watermelon | A — the seeds are not eaten with the fruit | Handpicking |
| 5 | Sorting sawdust and iron nails from building material | B — the nails are reused and the sawdust is used too | Magnetic separation |
| 6 | Picking marigold flowers from a heap of other flowers | B — both kinds of flower are useful | Handpicking |
| 7 | Separating pebbles from sand | B — sand for plaster, pebbles for concrete | Sieving |
| 8 | Separating coconut pieces from rice flour | B — both are used in cooking | Sieving |
| 9 | Separating oil from water | B — the oil is recovered and the water is reused | Decantation |
| 10 | Separating salt from salt solution | B — salt is wanted; water can be recovered too | Evaporation |
The idea being tested: we do not separate substances just for fun. There are exactly two reasons — either to throw out something harmful or useless, or to obtain two useful things separately. Once you can name the purpose, choosing the method becomes easy.
Note: a few slips can be argued either way — e.g. watermelon seeds are dried and eaten as magaz, which would put slip 4 in Basket B. If your team can give the reason, the answer is acceptable. Say why, not just which.