Fibre to Fabric

Question 1:

Which of these is not a natural fibre?

(a) leather
(b) jute
(c) wool
(d) cotton

ANSWER:

(a) leather

Leather is not a natural fibre as it is obtained from animals.

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Question 2:

Which of these fabrics will you choose to wear in hot and humid conditions?
(a) cotton
(b) silk
(c) nylon
(d) wool

ANSWER:

(a) Cotton

Cotton fabrics are best worn in hot and humid conditions as these clothes absorb sweat and evaporates
it thus, making the body cool.

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Question 3:

Historians believe that cotton clothes were first worn in

(a) India.
(b) Egypt.
(c) China.
(d) Europe.

ANSWER:

(b) Egypt
Historians believe that the first cotton clothes were used in Egypt 14,000 years ago. However, the
written records indicate that cotton clothing was made in India at least 3,000 years ago.

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Question 4:

Which of these is the leading producer of wool today?

(a) Germany
(b) Australia
(c) New Zealand
(d) USA

ANSWER:

(b) Australia

Australia is the world's leading producer of wool today.

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Question 1:

Why do we wear clothes?

ANSWER:

We wear clothes to protect ourselves against the weather such as strong sunlight, extreme cold, heat or
rain.

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Question 2:

How did people cover their bodies before invention of clothes?

ANSWER:

Before the invention of clothes, people covered their bodies with the skins of animals in cold weather or
with leaves, barks, or grasses in warm weather.

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Question 3:
What is the difference between fibre and yarn?

ANSWER:

Fibres Yarn

Fibres are obtained from natural sources Yarn is obtained by braiding different
such as cotton, wool etc. fibres together.

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Question 4:

Name two fibres that are used to make clothes, and two materials that are not fibres but are used to
make clothes.

ANSWER:

Two fibres that are used to make clothes are cotton and wool. Two materials that are not fibres but are
used for making clothes are leather and fur, which are derived from animals.

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Question 5:

List two uses of jute.

ANSWER:

Following are the uses of jute:

(i) Jute is useful for making ropes.
(ii) It is used in making gunny sacks or covers for chairs.

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Question 6:

Which properties of synthetic fibres make them useful?

ANSWER:

The properties of synthetic fibres that make them useful include:

1. High strength

2. Resistance to wrinkling
 3. Fast drying

These properties are exploited in making clothes with synthetic fibres.

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Question 7:

In most parts of India pure nylon or polyester clothes are not worn. Why?

ANSWER:

The climate in most parts of India is hot. Nylon and polyester being synthetic fibres do not 'breathe' as
easily as cotton. They are unable to absorb sweat and keeping the wearer cool in hot climates.

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Question 8:

Why does jute grow so well in the Sunderbans area?

ANSWER:

Jute grows best in warm, humid climates receiving plenty of rainfall. Jute also requires alluvial soil
receiving silt from annual flooding. These conditions are best available in the Sunderbans region. Hence,
jute grows well in the Sunderbans region.

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Question 1:

What kind of climate and soil does cotton require to give a good yield?

ANSWER:

Kind of climate and soil required for having a good yield of cotton:
Cotton is a warm season crop that needs moderate rainfall. It requires fertile and clayey soil that can
hold moisture. The best suited soil for growing cotton is black soil which is found in western and
southern India. Cotton is sown between May and September in India and its harvesting begins from
October.

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Question 2:

Name and explain in one sentence each the steps involved in converting cotton growing on plants to
cotton cloth.

ANSWER:
Three steps are involved in converting cotton to cloth:
(i) Ginning: The cotton obtained from cotton bolls is separated from seeds by this process.
(ii) Spinning: The fibres obtained by combing are spun into yarn by this process.
(iii) Weaving: The yarn is finally woven into cloth using two different types of yarns.

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Question 3:

What advantages does cotton have over synthetic cloth?

ANSWER:

Cotton cloth is soft and it lets air flow through it. In other words, cotton cloth can breathe freely. This is
not the case with synthetic cloth such as nylon. Further, cotton clothes can absorb sweat, which
synthetic clothes cannot. The absorbed sweat then evaporates from the clothing and cools down the
wearer in hot and humid weather.

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Question 4:

Outline the process of making woollen clothes.

ANSWER:

The process of making woollen clothing employs the following steps:

1. Shearing: The wool is removed from the sheep using special clippers in a process known as
shearing.

2. Transportation: Post shearing, the wool is packed into bales and transported to the mills.

3. Combing and spinning: The wool is then combed by a combing machine and spun into fibre.

4. Knitting or weaving: The fibres are then knit or weaved into woollen clothing.

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Question 5:

How is silk obtained?

ANSWER:

Silk is obtained from the cocoon of silk worms. The silk worms feed on mulberry leaves and each worm
spins a continuous thread, which is nearly 800 meters in length, to make a cocoon. The cocoons are
collected and boiled in water to kill the silkworms. The cocoons are then unwrapped to get silk fibre,
which is then woven into fabric.

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Question 6:

How is jute fibre made from the jute plant?

ANSWER:

Jute fibre is obtained from jute plant by the following steps:

1. Retting: Jute fibre is obtained from the stalks of the jute plant. After harvesting, the stalks of
jute plants are bundled together and soaked in water for about 20 days.

2. The fibres are then separated from the stem in long strands and washed in clear, running water.

3. The fibres are then spread out or hung up to dry for between 2-3 days.

4. The dried fibres are then collected and bundled to be sent to the mills to be processed into
fabric, ropes, gunny sacks etc.

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Question 5:

Which of these is not a property of jute?

(a) biodegradability
(b) durability
(c) smoothness
(d) strength

ANSWER:

(c) smoothness

Jute is biodegradable, durable and strong. However, smoothness is not a property of jute.

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Question 6:

Which of these is not a fibre?

(a) jute
(b) nylon
(c) leather
(d) wool
ANSWER:

(c) leather

Leather is derived from tanning skins of animals. Therefore, it is not a fibre.

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Question 7:

Which of these do you think traps the most air?

(a) nylon
(b) cotton
(c) wool
(d) polyester

ANSWER:

(c) wool

Wool is fluffy and it traps most of the air which enables wool to act as an insulator.

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Question 8:

Which of these is not a property of nylon?

(a) light weight
(b) strong
(c) absorbs water
(d) wrinkle free

ANSWER:

(c) absorbs water

Nylon is a synthetic fibre. Nylon is incapable of absorbing water.

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Question 1:

Name one fibre each that is:

(a) smooth
(b) shiny
(c) fluffy
(d) wrinkle free
ANSWER:

(a) Smooth: Cotton is an example of a smooth fibre.

(b) Shiny: Silk is an example of a smooth fibre.
(c) Fluffy: Wool is an example of a fluffy fibre.
(d) Wrinkle free: Polyester is an example of a wrinkle free fibre.

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Question 2:

Cotton grows best in the ___________ soil of south India or the ___________ soil of north India.

ANSWER:

Cotton grows best in the black soil of south India or the alluvial soil of north India.

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Question 3:

To grow best, cotton requires ___________ rainfall.

ANSWER:

To grow best, cotton requires moderate rainfall.

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Question 4:

___________ is the rearing of silkworm for the production of silk.

ANSWER:

Sericulture is the rearing of silkworm for the production of silk.

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Question 5:

Jute is one of the cheapest natural fibres. True or false?

ANSWER:

True, jute is one of the cheapest natural fibres.

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Question 6:
Jute grows best in areas that get ___________ (heavy/moderate/low) rainfall.

ANSWER:

Jute grows best in areas that get heavy rainfall.

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Question 7:

Soaking the jute plants in water is called ___________

ANSWER:

Soaking of jute plants in water is known as retting.

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Question 8:

Synthetic fibres dry faster than cotton or wool. True or false?

ANSWER:

True. Synthetic fibres do not absorb water and as a result, they dry faster than cotton or wool.

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Question 9:

Fibres are made from melted plastic by passing it through fine holes in a ___________

ANSWER:

Fibres are made from melted plastic by passing it through fine holes in a spinneret.

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Question 1:

Wearing many layers of cotton clothes will keep you as warm in winter as wearing a thick woollen
sweater. Why? (HINT: Why does wool keep you warm?)
ANSWER:

Cotton clothes can let air in. If you wear many layers of cotton clothing, then the effect will be of having
a fluffy clothing material that can retain air. Since air is a bad conductor of heat, wearing many layers of
cotton clothing will keep you warm. This is the same way in which woollen clothing also works.

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Question 2:

A news item: 'Silk has come under fire from animal rights activists.' Why?

ANSWER:

To obtain silk, silkworm cocoons are boiled in hot water to kill the silkworm. Animal rights activists insist
that boiling silkworms alive to kill them is cruel. As a result, silk has come under fire from animal rights
activists.

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Question 3:

Why is a spinneret used to make nylon but is not needed to make cotton or wool fibres?

ANSWER:

Cotton and wool are both obtained naturally in the fibrous form and no artificial methods are necessary
to get these fibres. In contrast, nylon is a synthetic fibre obtained from plastics derived from petroleum.
The plastic is first melted at high temperature and then forced out through a device with many holes in
it known as a spinneret. Since, nylon is developed from plastic, a spinneret is needed to make nylon
fibres.