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Materials - Rough And Smooth
Files are rough but we use them to make things smooth!

Materials - Rough And Smooth

Some objects feel bumpy, others feel smooth. In this quiz, explore rough and smooth materials and discover why their textures matter in everyday life.

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Fascinating Fact:

Rough things can grip, which is why steps, trainers, and tyres often have rough patterns to stop slipping.

In KS1 Science, children learn to describe how materials feel. By comparing rough and smooth objects, they discover which textures help us stay safe, comfortable, and in control.

  • Texture: How a material feels when you touch it, such as rough, smooth, bumpy, or soft.
  • Rough surface: A surface with tiny bumps or ridges that can create friction and help stop slipping.
  • Smooth surface: A flat, even surface that feels slippery or soft and lets things slide easily.
What is the difference between rough and smooth materials?

Rough materials have lots of tiny bumps you can feel, while smooth materials feel flat and even. This difference changes how well things grip or slide.

Why are some everyday objects made with rough textures?

Some objects have rough textures to increase friction. This helps shoes, pavements, and handles stop people or items from slipping and makes them safer to use.

How can children test rough and smooth materials in KS1 science?

Children can feel surfaces with their hands, slide toy cars over them, or rub crayons on paper placed on top to see bumpy or smooth patterns appear.

1 .
How a material feels is called its _______.
Strength
Bendiness
Texture
Warmth
A running track is quite rough, so the runner’s shoes can grip the track
2 .
Most school playgrounds are made of tarmac or concrete. The surface of the playground is:
Soft
Hard
Warm
Bendy
Have you ever fallen and grazed your knee?
3 .
This playground is covered in bark from trees. You still have to be careful, but the surface is:
Harder
Softer
Colder
Smoother
Which bit of your local playground do you like best?
4 .
Most roads are made from tarmac. The road surface is:
Very smooth
Very bumpy
Quite rough
Quite weak
Roads are quite rough so that car tyres can grip the road
5 .
When the weather is very cold, there is snow and ice. When there is ice on the road, the road is:
Smoother
Rougher
Harder
Drier
The road is smooth and slippy. Big lorries spread grit on the road to melt the ice and give cars some grip
6 .
This man is planing a piece of wood. The wood will be:
Harder
Softer
Rougher
Smoother
The man is a carpenter
7 .
This man is polishing a car with a machine. The car will be:
Rougher and shinier
Harder and duller
Smoother and shinier
Softer and shinier
What is your favourite colour of car?
8 .
Wool is ____ to the touch.
Hard
Soft
Cold
Cool
A lot of carpets are made from wool
9 .
This man is rubbing a piece of wood to make it smooth. He is rubbing the wood with sandpaper. The sandpaper is:
Smooth
Rough
Wet
Elastic
The rough sandpaper makes the wood smooth
10 .
These are pebbles on a beach. The pebbles are:
Rough and weak
Rough and flexible
Smooth and hard
Smooth and soft
Pebbles are stones. They are made from rock. But they have been made smooth by the sea and the waves
You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Describing materials

Author:  David Bland (Former Physics Teacher, KS1 Science & Geography Quiz Writer)

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