Natural vs. Synthetic Materials

Plastics are made from natural materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and crude oil through something called a polymerisation process. This tells us that plastics are:

• toxic

• synthetic materials

• natural resources

• safe

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NGSS.MS-PS1-3

Synthetic materials are:

• created through chemical reactions

• made by the Earth naturally

• bad for the environment

• always nonrenewable

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NGSS.MS-PS1-3

Which answer choice is an example of a natural resource?

• oil

• plastic

• gasoline

• nylon fiber

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NGSS.MS-PS1-3

Which answer choice best defines a synthetic material?

• Synthetic materials occur naturally in the world.

• Synthetic materials are nonrenewable resources.

• Synthetic materials do not naturally occur in the world, but are man-made and can be created through chemical reactions.

• Synthetic materials are renewable resources.

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NGSS.MS-PS1-3

Which answer choice is the best example of a non-renewable natural resource?

• Nylon fiber is made by combining chemicals in a lab.

• Oil is made by the Earth over millions of years through the pressurization of organic material under Earth's crust.

• Salt exists naturally in the environment but can also be made in a lab.

• Plastics are made from natural materials such as cellulose, coal, natural gas, salt and crude oil through a polymerisation.

Which answer choice is NOT a natural resource?

• gasoline

• oil

• wood

• sunlight

Which answer choice is NOT an example of a synthetic substance?

• water

• fibers

• glass

• medicine

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NGSS.MS-PS1-3

True or False: The good news about synthetic materials, like plastic, is that we can always make more, no matter how much we need.

• True. We can make as many synthetic materials and natural resources as we need.

• False. We cannot make more synthetic materials.

• True. We can make as many plastics as we need with the power of chemical reactions.

• False. Even though we can make more synthetic materials like plastic, they are made from natural resources which sometimes take a long time for the Earth to make more of.

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NGSS.MS-PS1-3

Certain types of metals, like gold, are both naturally occurring and can be created in a lab. (This process is not used often because it is expensive and not efficient!) This tells us what about metals like gold?

• gold is not a natural resource or a synthetic material

• gold is only a natural resource

• gold is only a synthetic material

• gold is a natural resource that can sometimes be synthetic

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NGSS.MS-PS1-3

What are some benefits provided by synthetic materials?

• Synthetic materials help us make medicine and pharmaceuticals.

• Synthetic materials help build buildings and homes.

• All choices above are correct

• Synthetic materials like plastics and fuel make life more convenient.

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NGSS.MS-PS1-3