How Nature Works in Harmony — Class 8 MCQs with Answers
Class 8 CBSE Science · Chapter 12
72 practice questions · 24 Easy · 24 Medium · 24 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 8 CBSE Science questions from Chapter 12, "How Nature Works in Harmony". You get 9 timed quizzes made from 72 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 24 Easy, 24 Medium and 24 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that top scorers in CBSE Board exams get right.
To score well in "How Nature Works in Harmony", focus on clear concepts in physics, chemistry and biology basics. Each MCQ here is timed and uses exam-style marking (+4 correct, −1 wrong, 0 skipped). This helps you stay accurate when time is short, just as real papers need. Every question has a short explanation, so a wrong answer becomes a quick lesson. It is the fastest way to fix gaps before a test.
Use this chapter for focused revision. Start with the Easy set to check your basics on How Nature Works in Harmony, then move to Medium and Hard to practise applying them. Your accuracy, streaks and XP save automatically. This chapter also adds to your overall Class 8 Science mastery score. 14 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
How Nature Works in Harmony — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 8 Science)
14 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation.
- Q1Easy
The place where an organism lives is called its:
A.habitat✓ CorrectB.ecosystemC.food chainD.populationAnswer: A. habitat
Explanation: A habitat is the specific place where an organism naturally lives, such as a pond for a fish or a tree hollow for an owl.
- Q2Easy
Which of these is a biotic (living) component?
A.sunlightB.a plant✓ CorrectC.waterD.soilAnswer: B. a plant
Explanation: A plant is a living organism, so it counts as a biotic component; sunlight, water and soil are non-living, abiotic factors.
- Q3Easy
Green plants that make their own food are called:
A.consumersB.producers✓ CorrectC.decomposersD.predatorsAnswer: B. producers
Explanation: Producers are green plants that make their own food through photosynthesis, forming the base of every food chain.
- Q4Easy
A community of living things interacting with their non-living surroundings is an:
A.atomB.elementC.ecosystem✓ CorrectD.eclipseAnswer: C. ecosystem
Explanation: An ecosystem is a community of living organisms interacting with their non-living surroundings like air, water and soil, unlike a single atom or element.
- Q5Easy
Which of these is an abiotic (non-living) component?
A.a fishB.a treeC.water✓ CorrectD.a frogAnswer: C. water
Explanation: Water is non-living, so it is an abiotic component; fish, trees and frogs are all living, biotic organisms.
- Q6Easy
Plants make their own food by the process of:
A.digestionB.respiration onlyC.photosynthesis✓ CorrectD.decayAnswer: C. photosynthesis
Explanation: Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make their own food.
- Q7Medium
A group of different populations living together forms a:
A.single populationB.habitatC.community✓ CorrectD.abiotic componentAnswer: C. community
Explanation: A community is formed when different populations of various species live together and interact in the same habitat.
- Q8Medium
In an ecosystem, biotic components interact with:
A.nothingB.only the SunC.only waterD.each other and with abiotic components✓ CorrectAnswer: D. each other and with abiotic components
Explanation: Biotic components interact both with each other, such as predator and prey, and with abiotic factors like water and sunlight.
- Q9Medium
In the food chain grass → grasshopper → frog → snake, the producer is:
A.grass✓ CorrectB.grasshopperC.frogD.snakeAnswer: A. grass
Explanation: In grass → grasshopper → frog → snake, grass is the producer because it makes its own food through photosynthesis.
- Q10Medium
If there were no decomposers, dead bodies and waste would:
A.vanish instantlyB.pile up and nutrients would not return to the soil✓ CorrectC.turn into plantsD.have no effectAnswer: B. pile up and nutrients would not return to the soil
Explanation: Without decomposers, dead bodies and waste would pile up because nutrients would never be returned to the soil.
- Q11Medium
Plants depend on the abiotic factors ___ for photosynthesis.
A.sunlight, water and air (carbon dioxide)✓ CorrectB.only animalsC.only soil animalsD.only other plantsAnswer: A. sunlight, water and air (carbon dioxide)
Explanation: Photosynthesis requires the abiotic factors sunlight, water and carbon dioxide from the air, not other organisms.
- Q12Hard
A habitat differs from an ecosystem in that a habitat is:
A.exactly the same as an ecosystemB.just the place an organism lives, while an ecosystem includes all living and non-living interactions✓ CorrectC.only the animalsD.only the SunAnswer: B. just the place an organism lives, while an ecosystem includes all living and non-living interactions
Explanation: A habitat is simply the place an organism lives, while an ecosystem is the whole web of living and non-living interactions in that place.
- Q13Hard
Which set lists only abiotic components?
A.air, water, sunlight, soil✓ CorrectB.fish, frogs, plantsC.bacteria, fungiD.deer, grass, tigerAnswer: A. air, water, sunlight, soil
Explanation: Air, water, sunlight and soil are all non-living, so together they form a set of purely abiotic components.
- Q14Hard
In a food chain, the amount of available energy is greatest at the level of the:
A.producers✓ CorrectB.top carnivoresC.decomposersD.the Sun's coreAnswer: A. producers
Explanation: Producers hold the greatest amount of available energy in a food chain, since energy is lost as heat at every step that follows.
Key concepts: How Nature Works in Harmony (Class 8 Science)
This chapter shows how living and non-living things work together in nature. The place an organism lives is its habitat, and an ecosystem is the whole set of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components interacting. Green plants are producers that make food by photosynthesis; consumers (herbivores, carnivores and omnivores) eat other organisms; and decomposers such as bacteria and fungi break down dead matter and recycle nutrients. Food chains show who eats whom, food webs link many chains, and energy flows from the Sun through producers to consumers — keeping nature in a delicate balance that human overuse of resources can easily disturb.
- Habitat
- The place where an organism lives, providing it with the conditions it needs, such as a pond, a forest or a grassland.
- Ecosystem
- All the living and non-living components of an area interacting together; a pond or a forest is an ecosystem.
- Population and community
- A population is all the individuals of one species in a habitat; a community is all the different populations living together.
- Biotic components
- The living parts of an ecosystem — plants, animals and microbes.
- Abiotic components
- The non-living parts of an ecosystem — air, water, soil, sunlight and temperature.
- Producers
- Green plants (autotrophs) that make their own food by photosynthesis, using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide; they bring energy into the ecosystem.
- Consumers
- Organisms that depend on others for food: herbivores eat plants, carnivores eat animals, and omnivores eat both.
- Decomposers
- Bacteria and fungi that break down dead plants and animals into simpler substances, recycling nutrients back to the soil for producers to reuse.
- Food chain and trophic levels
- A food chain is a sequence of who eats whom, with producers at the first level; the feeding positions are called trophic levels.
- Food web
- Many interconnected food chains, which is more realistic because most animals eat more than one kind of food.
- Energy flow
- Energy flows from the Sun to producers and then to consumers, decreasing at each higher level, so there are fewer top carnivores than plants.
- Balance in nature
- Living and non-living parts are interdependent; removing a group, such as decomposers or a top predator, upsets the balance, which human overuse of resources can also disturb.
Start this chapter free
You have 14 solved above. Sign in with Google (no card needed). You get 1 Easy + 1 Medium quiz on every chapter during your 30-day trial. After that, you keep 1 Easy quiz on every chapter, free for good, plus the exam tips.
This chapter has 72 questions (24 Easy · 24 Medium · 24 Hard), with timed scoring and instant feedback. The rest unlock with the ₹999/year plan.
Start this chapter free →How Nature Works in Harmony — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 8 Science How Nature Works in Harmony?+
This chapter shows how living and non-living things work together in nature. The place an organism lives is its habitat, and an ecosystem is the whole set of biotic (living) and abiotic (non-living) components interacting. Green plants are producers that make food by photosynthesis; consumers (herbivores, carnivores and omnivores) eat other organisms; and decomposers such as bacteria and fungi break down dead matter and recycle nutrients. Food chains show who eats whom, food webs link many chains, and energy flows from the Sun through producers to consumers — keeping nature in a delicate balance that human overuse of resources can easily disturb. Key ideas include Habitat, Ecosystem, Population and community, Biotic components, Abiotic components, Producers.
What does Class 8 Science Chapter 12 (How Nature Works in Harmony) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 72 NCERT-based MCQs on "How Nature Works in Harmony": 24 Easy, 24 Medium and 24 Hard. Together they make 9 timed quizzes, and you never get the same set twice. Every question has an instant explanation. They help you prepare for CBSE Board exams.
Are these "How Nature Works in Harmony" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "How Nature Works in Harmony" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year. One year from the day you pay. You stay in Class 8 till 31 March; on 1 April your account moves up to Class 9 and the rest of your year carries over. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "How Nature Works in Harmony" for the exam?+
Start with the Easy quiz to check your basics, then try Medium and Hard to practise applying them. There are 9 timed quizzes on this chapter, so you can come back for a fresh set instead of one you have seen. Read each explanation, retry the questions you miss, and track your accuracy until it stays high.
Are these "How Nature Works in Harmony" MCQs available with answers?+
Yes. 14 sample questions are shown here in full, each with the correct option and a step-by-step "Why" explanation. Sign in free with Google to start practising, with instant scoring.
Is there negative marking in the "How Nature Works in Harmony" quizzes?+
Yes. The timed quizzes use exam-style marking: +4 for a right answer, −1 for a wrong one and 0 for a skip. MHT-CET and CBSE board papers have no negative marking. Our mocks for those are scored their way.
What are the important questions from How Nature Works in Harmony (Class 8 Science)?+
The questions that matter most test Habitat, Ecosystem, Population and community, Biotic components, Abiotic components, Producers. This page shows 14 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations. Sign in to practise all 72 questions on the chapter as timed quizzes.
Is there an online quiz for How Nature Works in Harmony?+
Yes — Class 8 Science How Nature Works in Harmony has timed online quizzes at Easy, Medium and Hard levels, with instant scoring and a worked explanation on every question. The first quiz on the chapter is free.