The following 20 Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ) are based on
Chapter 9: Methods of Separation in Everyday Life from the NCERT Class 6
Science textbook Curiosity. Each question has four options - select the
best answer and click to check.
Instructions: Read each question carefully. Choose the most
appropriate option from (a), (b), (c), or (d). Click
Show Answer to reveal the correct answer with explanation.
Multiple Choice Questions
1Handpicking is suitable when unwanted particles are:
(a) Few and easily distinguishable
(b) Dissolved completely
(c) Smaller than every sieve opening
(d) Gases
(a) is correct
Large visible impurities such as stones can be removed by hand.
2Threshing separates:
(a) Husk from grain using wind
(b) Salt from water
(c) Tea leaves using a strainer
(d) Grains from harvested stalks
(d) is correct
Beating or machines detach grains from the crop stalks.
3Winnowing separates components using differences in:
(a) Magnetism
(b) Colour only
(c) Weight with moving air
(d) Solubility only
(c) is correct
Wind carries lighter husk farther while heavier grain falls nearby.
4Which mixture can be separated by winnowing?
(a) Sugar dissolved in tea
(b) Grain and husk
(c) Salt solution
(d) Oil and water
(b) is correct
The solid components differ enough in weight for airflow to separate them.
5Sieving separates particles based on differences in:
(a) Size
(b) Taste
(c) Temperature
(d) Magnetic pole
(a) is correct
Smaller particles pass through the mesh while larger ones remain.
6Flour is commonly sieved to remove:
(a) Dissolved salt
(b) Water vapour
(c) Oil
(d) Larger bran or impurities
(d) is correct
Mesh openings separate differently sized solid particles.
7Sedimentation occurs when:
(a) A gas condenses
(b) A solid melts
(c) Heavier insoluble particles settle
(d) A liquid evaporates
(c) is correct
Gravity pulls suspended heavy particles to the bottom.
8Carefully pouring off the clear upper liquid is:
(a) Sublimation
(b) Decantation
(c) Threshing
(d) Churning
(b) is correct
The liquid is separated after solids settle or immiscible layers form.
9Filtration separates an insoluble solid from a liquid using:
(a) A porous barrier
(b) Wind
(c) A magnet only
(d) Heating to dryness
(a) is correct
Liquid passes through filter pores while larger solid particles are retained.
10Tea leaves are separated from tea by:
(a) Winnowing
(b) Threshing
(c) Evaporation
(d) Filtration with a strainer
(d) is correct
The strainer acts as a filter.
11Evaporation can recover salt from:
(a) Grain and husk
(b) Iron and wood
(c) Salt water
(d) Sand and stones
(c) is correct
Water vaporises while non-volatile salt remains.
12Churning curd helps separate:
(a) Husk
(b) Butter
(c) Salt
(d) Sand
(b) is correct
Fat globules gather into butter during churning.
13A magnet can separate:
(a) Iron filings from sand
(b) Sugar from water
(c) Salt from flour
(d) Oil from water
(a) is correct
Iron is attracted while sand is not.
14Which method is suitable for muddy water before filtration?
(a) Threshing
(b) Handpicking every particle
(c) Churning
(d) Sedimentation followed by decantation
(d) is correct
Settling removes much of the heavy mud before the liquid is poured and filtered.
15Why might more than one separation method be needed?
(a) Properties do not matter
(b) Separation changes all components chemically
(c) Mixture components may differ in several properties
(d) One method separates every mixture
(c) is correct
A complex mixture may require successive steps based on size, density or solubility.
16To separate sand and salt, first add water so that:
(a) Both become magnetic
(b) Salt dissolves while sand remains insoluble
(c) Sand dissolves
(d) Both evaporate
(b) is correct
Filtration can then remove sand, and evaporation can recover salt.
17The liquid that passes through filter paper is called the:
(a) Filtrate
(b) Residue
(c) Husk
(d) Sediment
(a) is correct
The filtrate contains the liquid and any dissolved substances.
18The solid left on filter paper is called the:
(a) Filtrate
(b) Solution
(c) Vapour
(d) Residue
(d) is correct
Particles too large to pass through the pores form the residue.
19Which property makes separating salt from water by ordinary filtration impossible?
(a) Water is opaque
(b) Salt floats as large pieces
(c) Salt is dissolved as very small particles
(d) Salt is magnetic
(c) is correct
Dissolved particles pass through common filter pores with the water.
20The best separation method is chosen according to:
(a) A fixed method for all mixtures
(b) Differences in component properties
(c) The container colour
(d) The mixture's name only
(b) is correct
Size, weight, solubility, magnetism and state guide the choice.
