CHEMISTRY | SENIOR ONE

Topic Four: Using Materials

After going through the activites in this topic, you willbe able to:
i) classify materials used in everyday life into natural and synthetic groups, and how
this affects their use.
ii) relate the physical properties of polymers to their uses in everyday life such as in
building , fabrics and fabricating utensils used in homes.
iii) identify the molecular structures of materials and relate this to their use.
iv) explain that polymers are useful long chain molecules made by both natural and
sythetic processes.
v) explore how common materials can pollute the environment and which materials
can be recycled.
vi) explain how heating changes the structure and properties of some materials.

Note
Prepare the following materials for every lesson:a chemistry notebook, a pen, a pencil, a
chemistry textbook.

Lesson One: Classifying Materials

Introduction
When we take a look around our surroundings, all the items around us are made of a
particular material. These different materials are either obtained from natural
substances or they have been created artificially using sciencehence called synthetic
materials. The wayswe use these different materials depends on the properties of the
materials.

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Activity 1.1Classifying substances as natural and synthetic materials.

Instructions
1. Collect the following items: a piece of wood, a piece of paper, sisal fibres, polythene,
plastics, glass, clay, rubber, concrete, pottery, metal and different pieces of cloth
made from fabrics such as wool, silk, polystyrene, nylon, cotton, polyster.
2. Carefuly observe the materials that youhave collected.
3. Classify the materials into natural and synthetic materials.
4. Record your observations in the table as shown bellow.

No. Natural material Synthetic material

Summary
You mighthave observedand noticed that the materials we use in everyday life occur
naturally butsome are human-made. Natural materials are those which occur naturally and
those that are made by humankindare classified as artificial or synthetic or human-made.

Lesson Two: Investigating what Happens to Materials on hammering or

heating
Introduction
You are going to hammer or heat the different materials and observe what happens to
them. Different materials behave differently on hammering or heating.

Activity 2.1Heating and hammering different materials

Instructions
1. Collect the following items: wood, concrete, glass, paper, plastics, a piece of cloth,
pottery, rubber, metal, a hammer (stone), a brick and a source of heat.
2. Carry out the following activity outside your house.
3. Take each item and hammer or hit it (wrapping items to be hammered with a piece of
cloth prevents pieces from jumping into your eyes) and observe what happens. Record
your observation in a table.
4. Heat a small piece of each item using the source of heat.
5. Record your results in a table.

Table of results

No. Material Observation when hit Observation when heated

with a hammer

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Summary

When materials are hit with a hammer, some of them, such as concrete and glass, crumble
or break into small pieces. Others like wood are flattened into long fibres, and yet others
like rubber are not affected. When the materials are subjected to heat, some like paper,
fibre and wood burn, others like plastic melt, while others like concrete are not affected
by heat.

Lesson Three: Physical Properties of Materials

Introduction

The difference in how materials behave when subjected to great force or heat is
detemined by the structure of the particles making them. We learnt that matter is made
up of very tiny particles and between these particles are attractive forces. The particles
that makeup matter could be atoms or molecules. When atoms join together they form
different kinds of bonds.

Observe and study the given table below showing examples of bonds and properties
of materials with these bonds.

No. Bond Properties of material with this bonds

1 Ionic Crystalline solids that are easily broken
2 Covalent Gases, liquids or solids with a low melting point
3 Covalent giant Very hard solids with high melting points such as sand
structure
4 Metallic Ductile, malleable solids that are good conductors of heat
and electricity

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Materials that break easily (brittle)

Examples of materials that break easily include concrete, glass and ceramic.

a) Concrete

This is one of the useful materials made by humankind. Its made out of sand, gravel and
cement.

Cement has crystals which start forming when water is added to it and they become
stronger if the concrete is allowed to dry out slowly. This is why it’s a good idea to wet
concrete with water for several days after it has been used to make a structure. Because
concrete is made out of crystals, it is quite easily broken with a hammer.Crystalline
substances are easily broken.

Questions
1. How is concrete made?
2. Suggest any three properties of concrete.
3. State any four uses of concrete.

b) Glass
Glasses are usually hard, brittle, transparent materials. Glass is a non-crystalline solid and
the molecules in it are not arranged in any particular pattern.
Glass has a structure like that of a liquid but the
molecules are too large to move around, hence
glasses are liquids that behave like solids. The
most common type of glass is made by heating
limestone (calcium carbonate) with sodium
carbonate and sand ( silicondioxide) in a furnace.
The three substances melt together and run out
from the furnace as a clear liquid which is then
allowed to cool as a flat sheet of glass. This can be
moulded into any shape before it cools and turns
solid. Other substances, particularly metal oxides, can be added to make different kinds of
glass.

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Questions
1. What are the componets of the most common type of glass?
2. Explain how glass is manufactured.
3. Is glass a liquid or a solid? Give a reason for your answer.
4. Mention any three properties of glass.
5. What type of glass do presidents’ cars have?

c) Ceramics
These are objects made out of soft clay and then hardened by heat. Clay contains a
mixture of compounds mainly aluminium oxide and silicon dioxide.

Clay pots

Question
1. Name any two compounds that clay is composed of.
2. State any three properties of clay.
3. Mention any three uses of clay.
4. Does making pots require the knowledge of chemistry?

Lesson Four: Materials that don’t Break Easily

Introduction

Materials that don’t break easily include: plastics, natural polymers, naturals fibres and
metals.

a) Plastics

Plastic are snythetic materials. They are human-made and not found in nature. Plastics
are very important in our daily lives because they are cheap to make and can easily be
moulded into different shapes.

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Observe the different plastic objects that we use in our everyday life.

Activity 4.1

Identify and name any other plastic objects not shown in the picture but are useful in
everyday life.

The properties of plastics

• They vary from transparent to opaque.
• Vary from soft to hard.
• Vary from weak to very strong.
• Vary from heat resistant to easy to melt.
• Don’t conduct electricity hence are used as electrical insulators.

Note:
The structure of plastics is very different from the structure of concrete and ceramics.

What are plastics made of?

Plastics are made of carbon and hydrogyen atoms
that are joined together. The long chain molecules
obtained from the joined atoms are called
polymers. “Poly” means many hence polymers
are compounds madeup of many small molecules
joined together to form one long molecule.
Examples of polymers; polythene, nylon,
melamine, polyurethane.

Coloured Polythene bags

Plastics differ in their physical properties and these can be explained by the structure of
their molecules.

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Activity 4.2

Study the table below.

No. Types of plastic strength
1 Polythene Not very stong.
2 Nylon Very strong, flexible, streches without breaking.
3 Melamine Rigid, hard and cant be stretched.It burns without
melting.
4 Polyurethane Not strong and can be squashed/stretched without
permanently changing itsshape.

Task

Using chemistry textbooks and sources from the Internet, give atleast two uses of
each of the plastics given in the table. Write in your chemistry notebook.

Lesson Five: Natural Polymers

Introduction

These are polymers that occur naturally. They are made by living things as they grow.
Even right now you are making one polymer called keratin, a fibrous material made of
proteins. Our hair, fingernails, the feathers, hooves, claws, horns, the outer part of the
skin are all made of keratin.

Question

Research using textbooks or internet and give three uses of keratin polymer to animals.

Another well-known natural polymer is cellulose. This is the polymer that wood is made of.
Cellulose has a complex structure made up of carbon, hydrogen and oxgyen. Because
wood has covalent bonds and strong forces holding the molecules together, it has great
strength and it is a very useful material.

Activity 5.1

Finding out the direction of fibres in a newspaper.

Note:
When wood is crushed, it forms long thin pieces of cellulose called cellulose fibres, which
can be made into paper.

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Study materials required: two sheets of newspapers.

Instructions
1. Tear the newspaper sheet down the page.
2. Now try tearing the newspaper sheet across the page.
3. Is it easier to tear the newspaper down or across the page? Write down your
observation in the chemistry notebook.
4. Roll up a page of a newspaper and try pulling at one end while your sisteror brother or
friend pulls at the other end. What happens? Are youable to tear it up? Write your
answer in your chemistry notebook.

Question
What conclusions can you make about the fibres in the newspaper?

Summary
It is difficult to tear the newspaper down the page, but it is easy to do so across the page.
This is because the fibres that make up the newspaper are lined up across the page. This
means that when one tears the paper down the page, you are tearing it against the
direction of the fibres, thus the resistance. When one tears it across the page, he or she is
tearing it between the fibres, thus less resistance.

Follow-up Activity

Using chemistry textbooks and information from the Internet, research the
properties of cellulose. Write them in your chemistry not book.

Lesson Six: Natural Fibres

c) Fibres

Introduction

Fibres are made from polymers. They are used to make thread that can be made into
cloth or ropes. They can be classified into natural and synthetic fibres.

Natural fibres are classified into three groups depending on their sources:
• Animals fibres such as silk, wool and mohair.
• Plant fibres such as cotton, pine, sisal and hemp.
• Mineral fibres such as asbestos.
Synthetic fibres include: nylon, polyester and terylene.

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Questions
1. Give any three uses of natural fibres.
2. Give any two uses of synthetic fibres.
3. State the properties of natural and synthetic fibres.
4. What are regenerated fibres? Give examples.
5. What would be the most suitable fibre for each of these:
 a set of seat covers for a car?
 a sweater for cold weather?
 a baby’s nappy?

d) Metals

A metal is a material that conducts electricity and heat relatively well. They are typicaly
malleable and ductile.
When hammered, metals can be flattened without shattering because the layers of atoms
in the structure slide past each other.

Question
Why are metal good conductors of heat and electricity?

Lesson Seven: Material Used for Building Houses

Introduction

In your home area, there are many different kinds of houses made using different
materials.The constitution (what the houses are made of) of the house depends on a
number of things; forexample, the availability of building materials, the cost of building
materials, the space available for building, the weather condition in the area and the size
of the house.

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Activity 7.1
Observe the pictures of the different houses carefully.

Identify and name the materials the houses are made of. Write in your chemistry
notebook.

Follow-up Activity

a) Move around your home area and observe the houses. Pick one house.

b) Describe the shape and colour of that house.

c) List the materials that the different parts of the house are made of.

d) List the advantage and disadvantages of the materials used.

Lesson Eight: Making Bricks

Introduction
In this lesson, we are going to learn how to make bricks that can be used to build houses
and can be sold to earn money.

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Making of bricks
Materials required:

Mud and clay (used for brick making), cement, water,

sand, container for mixing cement of mud, boxes for
moulding the bricks forexample long-life milk or juice
cartons with a flatside cut out), a bucket, a piece of
wood.

Instructions
1. Two parts of cement added to two parts of sand,
or add one part of cement to three parts of sand,
or add three parts of cement to one part of sand
or to mud suitable for brick-making.
2. Add water to the mixture until it’s a firm paste.
3. Mould each mixture into a box and label it
carefully.
4. Leave the bricks to dry for a week (not in the sun).

Task
1. Research the common roofing materials used in Uganda for roofing houses.
2. Study the tabel below and fill it correctly.
No. Types of roof Insulation Cost Effect on Is it How easy is Appearance
environment water it to build
proof

1 Thatched

2 Corrugated
iron

3 Corrugated
iron with
ceiling

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Lesson Nine: Enviromental pollution by Materials

Introduction

In Uganda, many tonnes of wastes in terms of garbage, refuse or trash are produced in
homes and communities. We can make a difffrence in our homes and our communities by
reducing, or reusing,orrecycling materials and also encouraging our neighbours to do the
same.

Activity 9.1

1. Using the Internet and relevant chemistry textbooks, newspapers and magazines,
research appropriate methods of disposing wastes while guarding against
enviromental pollution.
2. Identify materials in your home or communities that can be recycled.

Activity 9.2:Classifying materials into recyclable and non-recyclable

In this activity, you will classify materials used in everyday life as those that can be
recyled (recyclable) and those that cannot be recyled (non-recyclable).

Instructions
1. Consider the following materials: wood, paper, natural and synthetic fibres, plastics,
cotton, sisal, silk, nylon, polythene, polyester, protein, rubber, starch, wool,
polystyrene, glass, polytetrafluoroethene.
2. Sort the materials given in (a) above into those that can be recycled and those that
cannot be recycled.
3. Record your results in a table.

No. Material Natural or Recyclable Non- recyclable

synthentic
1 Wood
2 Paper
3 Plastics
4 Cotton
5 Sisal
4. From your results, what kind of materials (natural or synthetic) are re-cyclable and
which ones are not recyclable?

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Summary

Recyclable resources or materials are those substances which can be reused in any form
again and again after use; for example, glass, plastics, metals and paper.

Non-recyclable resources or materials are those substances which can not be reused in any
form again; for example, photographs, medical waste, hazardous chemicals and chemical
containers, wax boxes, ceremics, kitchenware and many others.

Follow-up Activity
Use the Internet and relevant chemistry textbooks to find out:
a) What happens to the following materials when they are heated?
 Polythene
 Rubber
 Glass
b) Explain the effect of heat to the structure and properties of matter.

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