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Science Quiz - Materials - Rough And Smooth (Questions)

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
2. Most school playgrounds are made of tarmac or concrete. The surface of the playground is:
[ ] Soft
[ ] Hard
[ ] Warm
[ ] Bendy
3. This playground is covered in bark from trees. You still have to be careful, but the surface is:
[ ] Harder
[ ] Softer
[ ] Colder
[ ] Smoother
4. Most roads are made from tarmac. The road surface is:
[ ] Very smooth
[ ] Very bumpy
[ ] Quite rough
[ ] Quite weak
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
6. This man is planing a piece of wood. The wood will be:
[ ] Harder
[ ] Softer
[ ] Rougher
[ ] Smoother
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
8. Wool is ____ to the touch.
[ ] Hard
[ ] Soft
[ ] Cold
[ ] Cool
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
10. These are pebbles on a beach. The pebbles are:
[ ] Rough and weak
[ ] Rough and flexible
[ ] Smooth and hard
[ ] Smooth and soft

You can find more about this topic by visiting BBC Bitesize - Describing materials

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Science Quiz - Materials - Rough And Smooth (Answers)
1. How a material feels is called its _______.
[ ] Strength
[ ] Bendiness
[x] 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
[x] 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
[x] 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
[x] 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:
[x] 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
[x] 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
[x] Smoother and shinier
[ ] Softer and shinier
What is your favourite colour of car?
8. Wool is ____ to the touch.
[ ] Hard
[x] 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
[x] 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
[x] 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