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CBSE Class 8 Science Chapter 3 Notes

The document discusses different types of synthetic fibers and plastics. It defines fibers and fabrics, and explains that fabrics are made from natural or synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers discussed include polyester, nylon, rayon, acrylic, and their characteristics. The document also defines polymers, thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics, biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. It notes that while plastics are durable, they take a long time to decompose and cause environmental pollution.

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585 views

CBSE Class 8 Science Chapter 3 Notes

The document discusses different types of synthetic fibers and plastics. It defines fibers and fabrics, and explains that fabrics are made from natural or synthetic fibers. Synthetic fibers discussed include polyester, nylon, rayon, acrylic, and their characteristics. The document also defines polymers, thermoplastics, thermosetting plastics, biodegradable and non-biodegradable materials. It notes that while plastics are durable, they take a long time to decompose and cause environmental pollution.

Uploaded by

Sree Lucky
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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CBSE Class 8 Science Chapter 3 Notes: Synthetic Fibres And

Plastics
Clothes that we wear on a daily basis are made of fabrics. Fabrics are made of fibres which are
obtained from natural and artificial sources. Wool, silk, and cotton are a few examples of natural
fibres and fibres like polyesters and terylene are a few examples of synthetic fibres. In class 8
science chapter 3, the various types of synthetic fibres along with their characteristics are
mentioned.

Let’s Build
Fiber is a long, thin strand or thread of material. Fabric is a cloth material made
by weaving or knitting threads together

Fibers naturally occur in both plants and animals. More than half of the fibers produced are
natural fibers. Natural fibers include cotton, hair, fur, silk, and wool.

Fibre
 The clothes which we wear are made of fabrics.
 Fabrics are made from fibres obtained from natural or artificial sources.
 Fibres are also used for making a large variety of household articles.

Polymer
 The word ‘polymer’ comes from two Greek words; poly meaning many and mer meaning
part/unit.
 A polymer is a substance composed of many repeated similar subunits.

Synthetic Fibre
 Fibres that are made or created by humans are known as synthetic or man-made fibres.
 Humans have been able to make a variety of synthetic fibres. Eg: rayon, nylon etc.
Natural Fiber
The naturally occurring fibres that humans derive from plants or animals are known as natural fibres.
Eg: cotton, wool, silk, etc.

The Story of the Silkworm

Silk
 Silk fibre is obtained from the cocoon of a silkworm. It takes 10 kg of the cocoon material to
create 1kg of silk.
 The process was discovered in China where it was kept as a closely guarded secret for a
long time.
 Silk is costly due to the material quality and production process involved. It is used in making
sarees, ties, etc.

Raving about Rayon

Rayon
 Rayon is made from purified cellulose, which is chemically converted into a soluble
compound.
 Rayon comes from natural sources such as wood pulp but is considered as a man-made
fiber. This is because rayon can be treated chemically.
 When rayon is compared with silk, it is inexpensive but can be woven like silk fibres.

Nylon
 Nylon is a synthetic fibre obtained from coal, water and air.
 The first fully synthetic fibre obtained was nylon.
 The characteristic properties are that it is light, strong, and elastic.
 Nylon finds application in the manufacturing of socks, ropes, tents, car seat belts, sleeping
bags, curtains etc.

Pushy – Pull Polyesters

Polyester
 Polyester is made of repeating units of a chemical called an ester.
 It is a crease free synthetic fibre.
 It is best suited for the making of dress materials as it is crisp and is easy to wash.
 A popular polyester is Terylene.

Fake Sheep – Acrylic


Acrylic Fibre
 Acrylic is a synthetic fibre that resembles wool.
 The wool obtained from natural sources is quite expensive, whereas clothes made from
acrylic are relatively cheap.
 Synthetic fibres are more durable and affordable which makes them more popular than
natural fibres.

Plastic Attack Alert

Plastic
 Plastic is also a polymer like the synthetic fibre.
 All plastics do not have the same type of arrangement of units. In some, it is linear whereas
in others it is cross-linked.
 Plastic can be recycled, reused, coloured, melted, rolled into sheets or made into wires. That
is why it finds such a variety of uses.

Thermoplastics
Plastic which gets deformed easily on heating and can be bent easily are known as thermoplastics.
Eg: polythene and PVC

Thermosetting Plastics
Plastics which when moulded once, can not be softened by heating. Eg: bakelite and melamine.

Characteristics of Plastics
– Plastic is non-reactive
– Plastic is light, strong and durable
– Plastic is a poor conductor

Biodegradable and Non-Biodegradable Materials


A material that decomposes through natural process is biodegradable and materials that are not
easily decomposed by natural processes is termed as non-biodegradable.
Eg: Biodegradable – fruits, paper
Non Biodegradable – plastic, tin

Environmental Effects on Plastic


 Plastic takes several years to decompose, it is not environmental friendly.
 It causes pollution.
 The burning process in the synthetic material is quite slow and it does not get completely
burnt easily.
 It releases lots of poisonous fumes into the atmosphere causing air pollution in the process.

Implement the 4 R principle in everyday life. Following are the 4Rs:

 Reduce
 Reuse
 Recycle
 Recover
These habits are environment-friendly.

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