Access NCERT solutions for Class 9 Science Chapter – 1

Matter in our Surroundings

Exercise -1
1. Which of the following are the matter?
Chair, air, love, smell, hate, almonds, thought, cold, cold drink, smell of
perfume.
Ans: Matter is anything that occupies space and has some mass. There are
three states of matter called Solid, Liquid and Gas. On the basis of these three
states, we can define that which of this is a matter:

 Chair and almond are said to be in a solid state of matter as these have
fixed shape.
 Cold drink is in liquid state as it has the tendency to flow.
 Air and the smell of perfume have gaseous particles which are free to
move so this will also be considered as a gaseous state of matter.
 While Love, hate, cold, smell and thought are not having any mass or
neither do they occupy space these are just emotions or sensations felt
by human beings so they are not considered as matter.

2. Give reasons for the following observation:

The smell of hot sizzling food reaches you several meters away, but to
get the smell from cold food you have to go close.
Ans: The smell of hot sizzling food prepared by our mom reaches to us in our
room from kitchen but if the food gets cold after some time, we did not feel any
smell of that food this phenomenon can be defined on the basis of rate of
diffusion which gets increases when the temperature get increases as high
temperature increases the kinetic energy of food particles to get diffused in air.
The temperature of hot food particles is high as compared to old one so its
molecules get easily diffused in the air as compared to cold ones.

3: A diver is able to cut through water in a swimming pool. Which

property of matter does this observation show?
Ans: This can be explained on the properties of matter to attract the particles
towards themselves and this will also decide their shape and rigidity. The
force of attraction is highest in case of solid as compared to liquid and gas this
defines that particles of solid are tightly bound to each other. While in case of
liquid particles they have less forces of attraction which defines that there is
space between the particles and due to this reason that we can cut them
easily. That is why we can say that due to less forces of attraction between
water molecules a diver is able to cut through water in a swimming pool.
4: What are the characteristics of particles of matter?
Ans: Matter is anything that occupies space and has some mass. There are
three states of matter called Solid, Liquid and Gas.

The main characteristics of matter can be described as follows:

1. Particles of matter have space between them and the order of spacing
is highest in gas after that liquid and solid have very less space
between their particles.
2. Particles of matter are continuously moving in all the three states of
matter.
3. Particles of matter attract each other with strong forces which help them
to bind with each other. In solid particles attraction is very high whereas
in liquid it is low and in gases it is quite low.

Exercise -2
1: The mass per unit volume of a substance is called density (density =
mass/volume). Arrange the following in order of increasing density − air,
exhaust from chimney, honey, water, chalk, cotton, and iron.
Ans: Density is depending on mass and volume hence higher the mass
higher will be the density and out of these heavier particles have higher mass
as compare to lighter one so the order of increasing density of given
substances can be written as follows:
Air < Exhaust from chimney < Cotton < Water < Honey < Chalk < Iron.

2:
A. Tabulate the differences in the characteristics of states of matter.
Ans:Matter is anything that occupies space and has some mass. There are
three states of matter called Solid, Liquid and Gas.

Property Solid State Liquid State Gaseous State

 It has no definite
shape unless it It does not
takes the shape of contain any
Shape and It has a fixed shape
the vessel in which shape or not
volume and volume.
they are kept. It have any fixed
has a fixed volume.
volume.
It is compressible It is highly
It is incompressible
Compressibility but to a smaller compressible in
in nature.
extent. nature.
The force of
attraction between
The force of The force of
Forces of liquid particles is
attraction is highest attraction in this
attraction less than solid
in case of solids. case is very low.
particles but
greater than gas.
Particles of solid Liquid particles Gaseous
have no tendency have a tendency particles are
to move freely to move freely very free to
Randomness
therefore, these are therefore these move so these
not termed to be are random in are also random
random. nature. in nature.

B. Comment upon the following: rigidity, compressibility, fluidity,

filling a gas container, shape, kinetic energy, and density.
Ans:
 Rigidity: It is defined as the tendency of matter to resist a change in
shape.
 Compressibility: The ability of matter to reduce in volume when any
type of external force is applied on it.
 Fluidity: Tendency of particles to flow this property can be seen in case
of liquid and gases which can also be known as fluids.
 Filling a Gas Container: Gases neither have definite shape nor have
definite volume. Gases take the shape of that container in which it gets
filled. Hence by filling a gas container, it means the attainment of shape
of the container by the gas.
 Shape: Shape corresponds to fixed volume and boundary. Only solids
have a fixed shape.
  Kinetic Energy: Particles which produce energy possessed due to its
continuous motion.
 Density: It is defined as the mass per unit volume.

3: Give Reasons:
A. A Gas Fills Completely the Vessel in Which it is Kept.
Ans: The gas particles have a tendency to move freely in all directions as they
have very less force of attraction between their particles. Like water, gas can
also take the shape of the container in which it is kept. Therefore, we can say
that gas completely fills the vessel in which it is kept.

B. A Gas Exerts Pressure on the Walls of the Container.

Ans: The gas particles move freely due to its lesser forces of attraction
between the particles. Therefore, these gaseous particles continuously collide
with each other and with the walls of the container with a greater force.
Pressure is known as the force produced by the gas particles per unit area. By
this we can say that gas exerts pressure on the walls of the container.

C. A wooden table should be called a solid.

Ans: A wooden table is very rigid in nature which means that it has a definite
shape and its shape cannot be changed easily and has definite volume too.
The shape is fixed due to strong intermolecular forces hence it attains all the
properties of solid therefore, it is considered as a solid.

D. We can easily move our hands in air, but to do the same through a
solid block of wood, we need a karate expert.
Ans: Air particles have very less forces of attraction between their particles so
they have large space in between them. But wood has very little space
between the particles due to its high force of attraction therefore, wood is
considered to be of rigid nature. Due to this reason, we can easily move our
hands in air but the same will not happen through a solid block of wood. For
this we need a karate expert.

4: Liquids generally have lower density as compared to solids. But you

must have observed that ice floats on water. Find out why.
Ans: As we know that density is defined as the mass per unit volume. This
corresponds with the increase of the volume of any substance density will
decrease as they are inversely proportional to each other.

Ice is solid in nature therefore it contains strong intermolecular forces which

tightly bound them and they contain lesser volume but on the other hand liquid
has tendency to move freely due to weak intermolecular forces and contain
large volume.

From this we can say that water has larger volume and lesser density so it has
a tendency to float on water.

Exercise - 3
1: Convert the following temperature to Celsius scale:
A. 300 K
Ans: Celsius and Kelvin are two main scales to measure the temperature. By
subtracting the 273K from the given value we can get the value in degrees
Celsius. The formula corresponds to degree Celsius can be shown as:
�∘�=(�−273)
300�=(300−273)∘�=27∘�

B. 573 K
Ans: 573�=(573−273)∘�=300∘�

2: What is the physical state of water at:

A. 250oC
Ans: Physical state corresponds to the state of matter whether it exists in
solid, liquid or gas.
250oC– As we know that water starts boiling at 100°C and above this
temperature water exists in gaseous state. So, this defines that water at
250°C exists in a gaseous state.

B. 100��
Ans: 100�� – It is the starting point where water starts boiling so at this
temperature water exists in both liquid and gaseous states.

3: For any substance, why does the temperature remain constant during
the change of state?
Ans: This can be explained as the whole heat which we are providing to the
substance to increase its temperature is used to break the intermolecular
forces of attraction between them. This heat will also correspond to the latent
heat i.e., the heat which gets absorbed or released during change of state.
Hence all the energy gets used so temperature remains constant.

4: Suggest a method to liquefy atmospheric gases.

Ans: Atmospheric gases can be defined as the gases present in the
atmosphere. It can be liquified i.e., converted into liquid by applying suitable
conditions of applying pressure and by reducing their temperature.

Exercise - 4

1: Why does a desert cooler cool better on a hot dry day?

Ans: This can be explained by the process called evaporation, this is the
process in which the liquid particles absorb energy from the surroundings and
cause cooling. The rate of evaporation generally depends on the amount of
water vapour present in the air. If the amount of water vapor present in air is
more than the rate of evaporation is more or vice-versa. On a hot dry day, the
amount of water vapor present in air is quite low so this will evaporate easily
and make its surroundings cooler. Thus, from this we can say that a desert
cooler cools better on a hot dry day as compared to rainy one.

2: How does water kept in an earthen pot (matka) become cool during
summers?
Ans: An earthen pot or matka is generally made up of sand particles in which
many tiny pores exist and this helps the water inside the pot to evaporate and
surroundings makes the water cool. This is the reason why people kept the
water in an earthen pot during summers.

3: Why does our palm feel cold when we put some acetone or petrol or
perfume on it?
Ans: Acetone, petrol or perfume are considered as organic compounds which
are volatile in nature whereas volatile substances are those which easily get
vaporized and go through the process of evaporation. We know that during
the process of evaporation particles of these organic liquids absorb energy
from the surroundings or the surface of the palm and make the surroundings
or surface of the palm somewhat cool. This is the reason why our palm feels
cold when we put some acetone, petrol or perfume on it.

4: Why are we able to sip hot tea or milk faster from a saucer than a
cup?
Ans: This can also be explained on the basis of rate of evaporation as we
know that evaporation produces a cooling effect and evaporation depends on
the surface area, larger the surface area higher the evaporation. As in saucer
the area is larger as compared to cup so evaporation will be high in case of
greater surface area. Thus, we can say that liquid cools faster in a saucer than
in a cup and due to this reason, we are able to sip hot tea or milk faster from a
saucer than a cup.

5: What type of clothes should we wear in the summer?

Ans: In summer we usually sweat so we have to wear cotton or light-colored
clothes because cotton or light-colored clothes can absorb more sweat from
our body and transfers the sweat which is in the form of liquid to the
atmosphere and makes the evaporation process faster. Evaporation process
causes a cooling effect which makes our body cool in cotton clothes as
compared to synthetic or woolen ones.

NCERT Exercise
1: Convert the following temperature to Celsius scale:
A. 300 K
Ans:
Celsius and Kelvin are two main scales to measure the temperature. By
subtracting the 273K from the given value we can get the value in degrees
Celsius. The formula corresponds to degree Celsius can be shown as:
�∘�=(�−273)
300�=(300−273)∘�=27∘�

B. 573 K
Ans:
573�=(573−273)∘�=300∘�

2: Convert the following temperature to Kelvin scale:

A. 25∘�
Ans:
Celsius and Kelvin are two main scales to measure the temperature. By
adding the 273K from the given value we can get the value in degrees
Celsius. The formula corresponds to degree Celsius can be shown as:
0∘�=273�
27��=(27+273)�=300�

B. 373∘�
Ans:
373��=(373+273)�=646�

3: Give reason for the following observations.

A. Naphthalene balls disappear with time without leaving any solid.
Ans:
This phenomenon can be explained on the basis of sublimation which defines
that solid is directly converted into gaseous form without turning it into liquid.
Naphthalene is one that substances which undergo through the process of
sublimation easily at room temperature. That is why we can say that
naphthalene balls disappear after some time without leaving any solid.

B. We can get the smell of perfume sitting several meters away.

Ans:
Gaseous particles have very less internuclear forces due to which its
molecules are very free to move and it possesses high kinetic energy. Due to
this reason particles of perfumes diffuse into the atmosphere and its
molecules will mix in the environment which enables us to smell the perfume
from several meters away.

4: Arrange the following substances in increasing order of forces of

attraction between particles − water, sugar, oxygen.
Ans: Forces of attraction is the attracting power of molecules which keep
them together and intermolecular forces are very strong in case of solid as
compared to liquid or gas.
Here Sugar is said to be solid and contains higher forces of attraction.
Water is liquid comparatively containing lesser forces of attraction but higher
as compared to gases.
Oxygen is a gas which contains very less attraction between forces.
Thus, the increasing order of forces of attraction between the particles of
water, sugar and oxygen is
Oxygen < Water < Sugar

5: What is the physical state of water at:

A. 25��
Ans: Physical state corresponds to the state of matter whether it exists in
solid, liquid or gas.
25∘�– As we know that water melts at 0°C and above this temperature water
exists in liquid state.
So, this defines that water at 25°C exists in a liquid state

B. 0��
Ans: 0∘�– It is the temperature at which water starts melting i.e., water gets
converted into liquid from ice so at this temperature water exists as both solid
and liquid state.

C. 100��
Ans: 100∘�– It is the starting point where water starts boiling so at this
temperature water exists in both liquid and gaseous states.

6: Give two reasons to justify:

A. water at room temperature is a liquid.
Ans:
We find water is in liquid state at room temperature this can be justified as
follows:

1. Water does not have any fixed shape; it can take the shape of the
container in which it is kept and water has definite volume.
2. It has a tendency to flow.
3. Have weak intermolecular forces between their particles.

These all describe the property of liquid so we can say that water is liquid at
room temperature.

B. An Iron Almirah is a Solid at Room Temperature.

Iron almirah kept in our room is said to be solid due to following reasons:

1. It has a fixed shape and definite volume.

2. It contains strong intermolecular forces between their particles.
3. Rigid in nature, difficult to compress.

These all describe the property of solid so we can say that almirah is solid at
room temperature.

7: Why is ice at 273 K more effective in cooling than water at the same
temperature?
Ans: Here condition given that both ice and water are at same temperature
i.e. 273 K. But ice at 273 K has less energy as compared to water this can be
explained on the basis of latent heat of fusion which is possessed by water as
an additional energy but ice does not have such type of energy. Therefore, we
can say that at 273 K ice is more effective in cooling as compared to water.
8: What produces more severe burns, boiling water or steam?
Ans: Steam and water both are said to be at the same temperature i.e., 373
K. But steam contains more energy as compared to boiling water. This can be
explained on the basis of latent heat of fusion which is possessed by water as
an additional energy. Therefore, steam produces more severe burns than
boiling water.

9: Name A, B, C, D, E and F in the following diagram showing change in

its state.

Ans:

A is the process of converting solid into liquid is called Melting.

B is the process which converts liquid into gaseous state, this is called
vaporisation.
C in which gases get converted into liquid this is called condensation.
D is the process which converts liquid into solid. It is called solidification.
E and F are the processes which convert solid into gas or vice versa is known
as sublimation.

Class 9th Science Chapter 1 - Quick Overview of Detailed

Structure of Topics
Topic for Matters in Our Subtopic for Matters in Our
Surroundings Surroundings
 Matter is Made Up of Particles
 How Small are These Particles of
Physical Nature of Matter Matter?
 Particles of Matter are Continuously
Moving
  Particles of Matter Have Space
Characteristics of Particles of
Between Them
Matter
 Particles of Matter Attract Each Other
 The Solid State
States of Matter  The Liquid State
 The Gaseous State
 Effect of Change of Temperature
Can Matter Change its State?
 Effect of Change of Pressure
 How Does Evaporation Cause
Evaporation
Cooling?

Science Chapter 1 Class 9 - Important Formula and Concepts

Understanding these concepts is crucial for grasping chemistry basics and
matter's nature. Science Class 9 Chapter 1 Question Answer by Vedantu will
help students build foundational knowledge and enhance their learning.

 To convert Celsius (°C) to Kelvin (K), K = (°C) + 273

 Matter is anything that has mass and occupies space.
 Solid: Definite shape and volume, particles closely packed in a fixed
pattern, incompressible, and high density.
 Liquid: Definite volume but no definite shape; particles are close but
can move/slide past each other, almost incompressible, and moderate
density.
 Gas: No definite shape or volume; particles are far apart and move
freely, are highly compressible, and have low density.
 Increasing temperature can change the state of matter (e.g., heating ice
to form water).
 An increase in pressure can also change the state of matter (e.g.,
applying pressure to gas can liquefy it).
 The process of a liquid changing into gas at a temperature below its
boiling point.
 Factors Affecting Evaporation: Surface area, temperature, humidity,
and wind speed.
 When a liquid evaporates, it absorbs heat from the surroundings,
leading to a cooling effect