Lesson 1.

1:
Materials That Absorb Water
 You accidentally spilled water on the
table. You took a dry rag to clean it up.
The rag becomes wet and soft after
wiping the table. The table also dries up.
The rag absorbs the spilled water from
the table. When you squeeze the rag, you
can see the water coming out. The rag is
just an example of materials that absorb
water.
What kind of materials absorb water?
What are the properties of these
materials?
Absorption is the process of taking in liquids in a gradual
manner. A material that can take in liquids like water is known to
be absorbent.
Look at the surface of a sponge. Do you see tiny holes on its surface? Those
tiny holes are known as pores. These pores allow water to get into the sponge
easily. Inside the sponge are loose fibers which create empty spaces. When
water gets into the sponge, it occupies the empty spaces allowing the sponge to
swell a little and hold the water inside it.

When you squeeze the sponge, water will come out of

the sponge. Even if the sponge remains wet, it can still
absorb water after removing excess water from it.
A material that cannot take in liquids is known to
be nonabsorbent. Examples of nonabsorbent materials are materials
made of plastic, metal, and rubber.
Learn about It!

•A material is absorbent if it is porous. Porous

materials are those with tiny holes that allow liquids to
pass through.
•A material is nonabsorbent if it is nonporous. A
nonporous material repels liquid because of its
smoother surface.
Key Points
•Absorption is the process of taking in liquids in a gradual manner.
•A material that can take in liquids like water is known to be absorbent.
•A material that cannot take in liquids is known to be nonabsorbent.
•Porous materials are those with tiny holes that allow liquids to pass through.
•A nonporous material repels liquid because of its smoother surface.
Check Your Understanding
Group the following materials as absorbent or nonabsorbent.
Write T if the statement is true and F if it is false.
1. Nonabsorbent materials cannot take in liquids.
2. The materials with tiny holes which allow liquids to
pass through are considered as porous materials.
3. Nonporous materials absorb liquid while porous
materials repel.
4. A sponge is a nonabsorbent material.
5. Absorption is a process of taking liquids in a gradual manner.
6. Cloth is an example of a porous material.
7. Porous materials absorb liquid.
8. A rubber ball is a nonabsorbent material while cotton is an absorbent
material.
9. Nonporous materials repel liquid because they have smooth surfaces.
10. The empty spaces allow the sponge to swell a little and hold the water
inside it.
 Lesson 1.2:
Materials That Float
and Sink
Have you ever wondered what happens to a
coin when you throw it in a wishing well? Or
why a paper boat floats and moves along
running water? Some materials, no matter how
light they seem, still sink in water. While some
objects that appear to be heavy float on water.

What makes an object float and sink in water?

Learn about It!

A material floats if it stays on the surface of the

water. A material sinks when it goes at the
bottom after putting it in a liquid. Some
materials do not fully float or sink in water.
Instead they are suspended in the middle.

To understand why an object floats or sinks in water, it is

important to understand the concept of density.
The Ability to Float or Sink in Water is Dependent on Density

Density is the ratio of the amount of matter per occupied space. Simply, it is the
object’s mass divided by its volume.

The ability of a material to float or sink in water is dependent on the density of the
material. Water has a density of 1 gram per milliliter, 1gmL. It means that there
is one gram of water in one milliliter of space that it occupies.

•If the material has a higher density than water, then it will sink. Materials with
density greater than 1gmL will sink in water.

•If the material has a lower density than water, then it will float. Materials with
density less than 1gmL will float in water.
•A 1-peso coin will sink in water because its density is higher than 1gmL.
•A pingpoll ball will float in water because its density is lower than 1gmL.
•An ice cube floats in water because its density is slightly lower than the
density of water.
The Tendency to Absorb Water Affects the Ability of a Material to Sink
or Float in Water

When a material has a tendency to absorb water, the material will first float
in water. After some time, water will enter the material and the material will
sink.

Examples
A porous object like a small, dry sponge placed in a bowl of water initially floats. But
when water gets into the pores of the sponge, the water occupies the spaces inside it. The
sponge becomes denser and sinks in the water.
Shape Also Affects the Ability of a Material to Sink or Float in Water

When the shape of a material is dispersed across its mass, the material will
float. When the shape of a material is concentrated on a certain point, the
material will sink.
Examples
A ball of clay when dropped in a glass of water sinks. But when you reshape it into an
elongated shape with space at the center, it will float in water. Upon reshaping the clay,
the space occupied by the clay becomes larger than its mass. Hence, it is less dense than
water and the ball of clay.
Key Points
•A material floats if it stays on the surface of the water. A material sinks
when it goes at the bottom after putting it in a liquid.

•Density is the ratio of the amount of matter per occupied space.

The density of a material is usually expressed in grams per milliliter (g/mL)

•If the material has a higher density than water, then it will sink. If the
material has a lower density than water, then it will float. Water has a density
of one gram per milliliter (1 g/mL)

•The ability to float or sink in water is also affected by its ability to absorb
water and shape of the object. Porous materials which
•absorb water tend to sink.
Check Your Understanding

Predict whether the following materials will sink or float in water.

 Lesson 1.3:
Materials That Undergo
Decay
Have you seen a fruit that starts to rot? How about a loaf of bread that has
green or black spots on its surface?
When you see changes in the color of fruits or bread, it shows signs that it
is starting to decay.

Why do materials undergo decay?

Learn about It!
Decomposition is a process in which materials decay. These materials
slowly broke down materials into simpler substances. Decay happens in
the presence of water, air, and soil.
Materials that comes from a living thing undergoes
decay.

 Fruits which came from plants decay when oxygen,

a gas present in the air, acts on it.
 Logs that came from tree also rots with the help of
water, air, and soil.
 Natural wastes of humans and animals also decay.
 Some plants and animals decay for a long time.
This happens when remains of plants and animals
are stacked under layers of soil and water. These
remains eventually turn into fossils fuels as they
stay underground for millions of years.
  Food and drink products also decay. When the food or drink spoils, it starts to
decay already.

Preservatives are chemical substances that prevent or slow down decay

of food and drink products. Canned goods do not easily decay because of
preservatives.
Factors Affecting the Decaying Rate of Materials
These are temperature, kind of materials, and the presence of
microorganisms.

Foods are placed inside refrigerators to delay

the spoilage of food. Putting leftover foods
inside the refrigerator, a place with low
temperature, prevents microorganisms to grow in
it. The presence of microorganisms makes the
decaying rate faster.

A material made from living things such

as wood decays. Wood furniture is
painted so that it will not rot even if it is
exposed to air or water.
 Examples of Decaying and Nondecaying Materials

Materials that decay are known as biodegradable materials.

These materials naturally decay over a certain period of time.
Fruits and vegetables are biodegradable materials.
Plastic materials like straws, drinking bottles, and food sachets take hundreds of years
before they decompose and return to the soil. Plastics are called nonbiodegradable
materials. These materials do not easily decay. Other examples of nonbiodegradable
materials are rubber and metal.
Key Points
•Decomposition is a process in which materials decay. These materials
slowly are broken down into simpler substances.

•Materials that comes from a living thing undergoes decay.

•Temperature, kind of materials, and the presence of microorganisms

affect the decay rate of materials.

•Materials that decay are known as biodegradable materials. Materials do

not easily decay are known as nonbiodegradable materials.
Check Your Understanding
Write B if the material is biodegradable material and NB if it is
nonbiodegradable.

1. apples
2. plastic cup
3. orange
4. marbles
5. rice
6.metal spoon
 Lesson 1.4:

Effects of Decaying Materials to One’s Health

Decaying materials may be seen anywhere. You may
see a rotten portion of a log, a crumbling remains of an
insect in a garden, a spoiled fruit left in the open on
your dining table, or soured milk left on the bedside
table when you forgot to drink it the other night. Have
you ever asked what will happen if you are exposed to
decaying materials? What will happen if someone
accidentally ate spoiled food? Decaying materials may
bring harm to one’s health and safety in various ways.

In what ways do decaying materials

affect one’s health and safety
 Learn about It!
Harmful Effects of Decaying Materials

A dumpsite is a place where garbage is

disposed and buried underground. In this
place, a pile of garbage consisting of
decaying materials with some non-
biodegradable materials is covered by
soil. Since there are non-biodegradable
materials, the decaying process takes a
longer time. Different insects and pests
will live and breed there.
When flies and mosquitoes fly from one garbage to another,
they catch germs.

•Germs are microorganisms, bacteria, or viruses from decaying matter that cause

diseases.

•As insects continue to fly and land on different places, they also carry and
transfer germs on materials they are in contact.
Possible Diseases from Flies, Mosquitoes, Cockroaches, and
Rats

•Dysentery is a kind of sickness that causes severe diarrhea.

•Typhoid is another sickness that is brought by taking in contaminated
food and water caused by the Salmonella bacteria.
•Dengue, malaria, and Chikungunya acquired through a mosquito bite.

•Leptospirosis is a disease is very common during rainy season since

rat’s urines mixed with floodwaters which could infect a person with
open wounds.
At home, decaying bread, fruits, clothing
materials, or even wooden furniture show the
presence of microorganisms. Some of these
microorganisms like bacteria and molds can
trigger allergic or sensitive reactions that may
result in skin and respiratory asthma.

Asthma is a condition in which a person suffers from

skin allergies. It leads to excessive skin rashes and
itchiness. Another form of asthma affects the breathing
ability of a person.
 Examples of Effect of Decaying Materials to Health

Situation 1: Martha checked their refrigerator and tried to find

some food to eat because she was hungry. She saw a
container with leftover food from yesterday’s meal. She
smelled it and assumed that it is still okay to eat since its
smell did not change at all. She ate it and finished all even
though she thinks that the taste is different from how it tasted
before. The next morning, she experienced severe diarrhea
and vomiting. Her parents brought her to the hospital and
found out that she suffered from dysentery. The doctors said
that she got the sickness from the microorganisms present in
the spoiled food she ate the other day.
 Examples of Effect of Decaying Materials to Health

Situation 2: Alex noticed that there is a growing pile of

garbage at the damp corner of their street. As the days
passed by, he observed that there is an increasing number
of mosquitoes and flies in their place. When he traced
back where the insects are coming from, he saw that
there were plenty of insects living and breeding in the
huge pile of garbage in their street. He ignored the
situation thinking that the insects would vanish as soon
as the garbage disappear too. After a month, a dengue
outbreak was reported in their barangay, with the most
number of dengue cases in their street.
Key Points

•Decaying materials may bring harm to one’s health and safety in various
ways.
•A dumpsite is a place where garbage is disposed and buried underground.
•Flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches, and rats found in dumpsites may bring
different diseases to humans.
•Germs are microorganisms, bacteria, or viruses from decaying matter that
cause diseases.

•At home, decaying bread, fruits, clothing materials, or even wooden

furniture show the presence of microorganisms that may cause allergic or
sensitive reactions.
Check Your Understanding
Tell if the sentence is true. If not, change the italicized word or
phrase to make the sentence true.
1.Decaying materials may bring harm to one’s health and safety in
various ways.
2.Dumpsite is a place where garbage is disposed and buried.
3.Germs are microorganisms that are good for the body.

4.Exposure to decaying matter can cause diseases.

5.Dysentery is a severe diarrhea caused by a mosquito bite.