Matter in Our Surroundings — Class 9 MCQs with Answers
Class 9 CBSE Science · Chapter 101
Pre-2026 syllabusThis chapter is from the older NCERT book. See the 2026-27 Class 9 Science chapters →
90 practice questions · 30 Easy · 30 Medium · 30 Hard · Updated
Practise the most important Class 9 CBSE Science questions from Chapter 101, "Matter in Our Surroundings". You get 9 timed quizzes made from 90 NCERT-based MCQs, with answers and explanations. The questions are split into 30 Easy, 30 Medium and 30 Hard. Warm up on the basics, then move on to the exam-level questions that set top scorers in CBSE Board exams and the JEE & NEET foundation years apart.
To score well in "Matter in Our Surroundings", 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 trains you to stay accurate under time pressure, 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 Matter in Our Surroundings, 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 9 Science mastery score. 14 sample questions are solved in full below, with the answer and a worked explanation. Sign in free to start practising.
Key concepts: Matter in Our Surroundings (Class 9 Science)
This chapter explains that matter is made of tiny particles, how their arrangement gives the three states of matter, and how temperature and pressure cause changes of state.
- Particle nature of matter
- Matter is made of very small particles that have space between them, are continuously moving, and attract one another.
- States of matter
- Solids have fixed shape and volume; liquids have fixed volume but take the container's shape; gases have neither, filling any container.
- Change of state
- Heating overcomes inter-particle forces: melting (solid→liquid) and boiling (liquid→gas); cooling reverses them. Temperature stays constant during a change of state.
- Latent heat
- The hidden heat absorbed or released during a change of state without a change in temperature (latent heat of fusion and of vaporisation).
Matter in Our Surroundings — important questions & MCQs with answers (Class 9 Science)
14 solved questions from this chapter's difficulty levels, each with its answer and explanation. The other 76 are timed and scored when you sign in.
- Q1Easy
Which state of matter has neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume?
A.Gas✓ CorrectB.LiquidC.SolidD.PlasmaAnswer: A. Gas
Explanation: Gas particles have weak intermolecular forces and move freely, so they spread to fill any container completely — giving gases neither a fixed shape nor a fixed volume, unlike liquids, which keep a fixed volume.
- Q2Easy
The temperature at which a solid melts to become a liquid at atmospheric pressure is called its:
A.Boiling pointB.Sublimation pointC.Melting point✓ CorrectD.Freezing pointAnswer: C. Melting point
Explanation: Melting point is the fixed temperature at which a solid turns to liquid at 1 atm pressure; boiling point is the liquid-to-gas transition temperature, a different process entirely.
- Q3Easy
Diffusion is fastest in which state of matter?
A.SolidsB.Gases✓ CorrectC.LiquidsD.Rate is the same in all statesAnswer: B. Gases
Explanation: Diffusion speed depends on particle spacing and motion. Gas particles are far apart with high kinetic energy, so they mix into other gases far faster than the closely packed particles of liquids or solids.
- Q4Easy
Evaporation is a surface phenomenon that occurs:
A.Only at the boiling pointB.At all temperatures below the boiling point✓ CorrectC.Only above the boiling pointD.Only in the presence of heatAnswer: B. At all temperatures below the boiling point
Explanation: Evaporation happens at any temperature below the boiling point, wherever surface particles gain enough energy to escape as vapour — it is not restricted to the boiling point itself.
- Q5Easy
Which property is characteristic of solids?
A.Fixed shape but no fixed volumeB.No fixed shape but fixed volumeC.No fixed shape and no fixed volumeD.Fixed shape and fixed volume✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Fixed shape and fixed volume
Explanation: Strong intermolecular forces lock solid particles into fixed positions in a rigid lattice, giving solids both a definite shape and a definite volume, unlike liquids or gases.
- Q6Easy
The boiling point of water at standard atmospheric pressure is:
A.0 °CB.37 °CC.100 °C✓ CorrectD.212 °CAnswer: C. 100 °C
Explanation: Water boils at 100 °C (373 K) at standard atmospheric pressure. 0 °C is its melting/freezing point, and 212 °F — not 212 °C — is the Fahrenheit equivalent of 100 °C.
- Q7Medium
Convert 25 °C to the Kelvin scale.
A.298 K✓ CorrectB.273 KC.248 KD.300 KAnswer: A. 298 K
Explanation: Kelvin = Celsius + 273 (more precisely +273.15), so 25 °C + 273 = 298 K.
- Q8Medium
The amount of heat required to change 1 kg of a liquid into vapour at its boiling point without any change in temperature is called:
A.Specific heat capacityB.Latent heat of fusionC.Latent heat of vaporisation✓ CorrectD.Heat of sublimationAnswer: C. Latent heat of vaporisation
Explanation: Latent heat of vaporisation is the heat needed to convert 1 kg of liquid to vapour at its boiling point with no temperature rise — the heat overcomes intermolecular forces instead of heating the substance further.
- Q9Medium
Brownian motion provides evidence for which property of matter?
A.Particles of matter are in continuous random motion✓ CorrectB.Matter has massC.Matter occupies spaceD.Particles of matter attract each otherAnswer: A. Particles of matter are in continuous random motion
Explanation: The random zig-zag path of suspended particles arises because surrounding fluid molecules are themselves in continuous random motion and strike the particle unevenly — direct evidence of that ceaseless molecular motion.
- Q10Medium
Why does sweating cool the human body?
A.Sweat contains cold water that absorbs body warmthB.Sweat reflects solar radiationC.Sweat blocks the transfer of heat to the environmentD.Evaporation of sweat absorbs latent heat from the body surface✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Evaporation of sweat absorbs latent heat from the body surface
Explanation: Evaporation is endothermic: sweat on the skin absorbs latent heat directly from the body as it turns to vapour, lowering skin temperature — sweat does not cool by being cold itself.
- Q11Medium
Which of the following properties is shared by both liquids and gases?
A.Fixed volumeB.Ability to flow (fluidity)✓ CorrectC.Fixed shapeD.High compressibilityAnswer: B. Ability to flow (fluidity)
Explanation: Both liquids and gases can flow because their particles are not locked into fixed positions — fluidity is shared, whereas fixed volume (liquids only) and high compressibility (gases only) are not.
- Q12Hard
The sun and other stars consist mainly of plasma. Plasma is best described as:
A.A very dense solidB.A superheated liquidC.A state of matter consisting of ionised gas with free electrons and positive ions✓ CorrectD.A mixture of all three states of matterAnswer: C. A state of matter consisting of ionised gas with free electrons and positive ions
Explanation: At extremely high temperatures, gas atoms lose electrons, leaving a mix of free electrons and positive ions — this ionised gas is plasma, the state that makes up the sun and most stars.
- Q13Hard
Which of the following does NOT undergo sublimation?
A.CamphorB.IodineC.Common salt (NaCl)✓ CorrectD.Ammonium chloride (NH₄Cl)Answer: C. Common salt (NaCl)
Explanation: Common salt is an ionic solid held together by strong electrostatic forces, giving it a very high melting point, so it does not sublime under ordinary conditions — unlike camphor, iodine and ammonium chloride.
- Q14Hard
Arrange solids, liquids and gases in increasing order of intermolecular force of attraction:
A.Gas < Solid < LiquidB.Solid < Liquid < GasC.Liquid < Gas < SolidD.Gas < Liquid < Solid✓ CorrectAnswer: D. Gas < Liquid < Solid
Explanation: Intermolecular attraction is negligible in gases, moderate in liquids (enough to hold together while still flowing), and strongest in solids (rigid enough for a fixed shape) — an increasing order of Gas, Liquid, Solid.
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Start this chapter free →Matter in Our Surroundings — FAQs
What are the key concepts in Class 9 Science Matter in Our Surroundings?+
This chapter explains that matter is made of tiny particles, how their arrangement gives the three states of matter, and how temperature and pressure cause changes of state. Key ideas include Particle nature of matter, States of matter, Change of state, Latent heat.
What does Class 9 Science Chapter 101 (Matter in Our Surroundings) cover on XamBaaz?+
It has 90 NCERT-based MCQs on "Matter in Our Surroundings": 30 Easy, 30 Medium and 30 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 and the JEE & NEET foundation years.
Are these "Matter in Our Surroundings" questions free to practise?+
Yes. Sign in with Google to practise "Matter in Our Surroundings" free. Full unlimited access is ₹999/year on a launch offer until 1 December 2026. No chapter is charged separately.
How should I revise "Matter in Our Surroundings" 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 "Matter in Our Surroundings" 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 "Matter in Our Surroundings" 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 Matter in Our Surroundings (Class 9 Science)?+
The questions that matter most test Particle nature of matter, States of matter, Change of state, Latent heat. This page shows 14 solved important MCQs with answers and explanations; all 90 questions on the chapter are available as timed quizzes once you sign in.
Is there an online quiz for Matter in Our Surroundings?+
Yes — Class 9 Science Matter in Our Surroundings 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.