Sorting Materials Into Groups: Purpose & Material Properties

Sorting is a systematic arrangement of materials in different categories or groups on the basis of their properties, economic importance, or daily use. Sorting materials into groups is a science. It helps to study materials under different categories. It also helps in the classification of materials as per their properties, importance, economic value and daily use. 

Key Takeaways: Sorting, Materials, Appearance, Solubility, Transparency, State of Matter, Solid, Liquid, Gas, Chemical Nature

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Sorting

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Sorting is a systematic arrangement of materials in different categories or groups on the basis of their properties, economic importance, or daily use. Materials can be sorted on different bases. They can be sorted on the basis of their dimensions, thickness, and chemical properties also. 

Sorting

They can be stored and preserved in different kinds of containers. Sorting helps in supplying and distributing materials to different industries, and from manufacturing points to selling points. At every point of the utility process of sorting makes users find and pick out the things easily.

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Purpose of Sorting Materials

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Materials are sorted into different groups for the purpose of storage, location, and manufacturing. 

• Storage: Solid materials like grains, seeds, sugar, salt, soap can be stored in cloth, plastic, or paper containers or packs. Liquid materials like water, milk, and oil can be stored in non-corrosive substances like durable plastic and glass. Gases like oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and acetylene can be stored in metallic cylinders. 
• Location: Materials are kept in specific locations for easy finding and using them. Grocery items are kept in the kitchen, whereas soap, washing powders, and acids are stored in bathrooms and toilets. 
• Manufacturing and Preparation: Different materials are used to manufacture different containers and substances. Fibre is used for making cloth, ropes, threads, bags, and cushions. Glass is used for making bottles, mirrors, and window panes. Plastic is used for making bags, baskets, and pots. Iron is used for making ploughs, machines, and vehicles.

Purpose of Sorting Materials

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Properties of Materials

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Properties of materials are appearance, solubility, transparency, state of matter, chemical nature, and usage.

Appearance

The external appearance can be in the form of size, colour, texture, structure, glow, and attraction. Some materials are small. big, short, tall or of medium size. They may have different colours. The relative arrangement of particles in a substance is called its texture. The arrangement of particles in different layers or patterns is called structure. On the basis of glow, the material can be lustrous or dull. For example metals like aluminium, copper, gold, iron, silver and tungsten are lustrous. 

Sorting By Shape

Solubility

Substances that dissolve in water are said to be soluble substances. The solubility rate would be faster if it is heated. E.g, salt, sugar. Soluble substances mix well with water to form liquid solutions. Substances that do not dissolve in water even after stirring and heating are called insoluble substances. Eg. soil, sand, stones.

Transparency

The materials that can be seen through are called transparent substances. Glass, some polythene covers, lenses. Some plastic, and water are transparent materials. The materials that can partially be seen through are called translucent substances. Butter paper, some thin plastic sheets, frosted glass, and some polythene covers are translucent materials. The materials that cannot be seen through are called opaque substances. Eg: brick, cloth, concrete wall, metals, thick paper, timber, etc are opaque substances. 

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State of Matter

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On the basis of the state of matter, materials are classified as solids, liquids and gases. 

Criteria for Sorting Materials

Materials can be sorted on the basis of physical properties, chemical properties, and utility. The details and examples are given in the properties of the materials above.

1. Materials can be classified on the basis of physical properties into solid, liquid, semi-solid and gaseous substances. 
2. Materials can be classified on the basis of appearances like colour, structure, texture, lustre, and arrangement.
3. Materials can be classified on the basis of hardiness like hard, soft, and moderate substances.

Sorting Based on length

4. Materials can be classified on the basis of solubilities like soluble, insoluble, and sparingly soluble substances. 
5. Materials can be classified on the basis of their thickness like transparent, translucent and opaque substances. 
6. Materials can be classified on the basis of metallic properties like metals and non-metals.
7. Materials can be classified on the basis of utility like cosmetics, textiles, interiors, housing material, furniture, etc.

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Disposal of Different Materials

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Different materials can be disposed of in different ways like a landfill, incineration, biogas generation, composting, waste compaction, and vermicomposting to keep the environment safe and clean.

1. Landfill: Non-reusable and non-recyclable substances are spread in different layers in dug up pits. 
2. Incineration: Solid waste from hospitals can be completely made germ free by this method. 
3. Generation of Biogas: Animal and plant waste can be used to generate biogas. The methane-rich biogas can be used for cooking purposes, electricity generation, and manure production. 

Sorting of Waste

4. Waste Compaction: Waste materials are compacted under pressure to reduce the space occupied by them. The same compacted materials can be sent to factories for recycling.
5. Composting: Animal, plant and domestic waste is decomposed into compost or organic manure for farming and home gardens. 
6. Vermicomposting: Animal and plant waste is converted into manure by using earthworms. Vermicompost is rich organic manure used for gardens and agriculture fields. 

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Things to Remember

• Sorting is a systematic arrangement of materials in different categories or groups on the basis of their properties, economic importance, or daily use. 
• Gases like oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and acetylene can be stored in metallic cylinders. 
• Metals like aluminium, copper, gold, iron, silver and tungsten are lustrous. 
• The materials that can be seen through are called transparent substances. 
• The materials that can partially be seen through are called translucent substances. The materials that cannot be seen through are called opaque substances. 
• Waste materials have to be disposed of on the basis of their properties and utility in different ways. 

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