SCIENCE

TEXTBOOK FOR CLASS IX

 FOREWORD

The National Curriculum Framework (NCF), 2005, recommends that children’s

life at school must be linked to their life outside the school. This principle
marks a departure from the legacy of bookish learning which continues to shape
our system and causes a gap between the school, home and community. The
syllabi and textbooks developed on the basis of NCF signify an attempt to
implement this basic idea. They also attempt to discourage rote learning and
the maintenance of sharp boundaries between different subject areas. We hope
these measures will take us significantly further in the direction of a child-
centred system of education outlined in the National Policy on Education (1986).
The success of this effort depends on the steps that school principals and
teachers will take to encourage children to reflect on their own learning and to
pursue imaginative activities and questions. We must recognise that, given
space, time and freedom, children generate new knowledge by engaging with
the information passed on to them by adults. Treating the prescribed textbook
as the sole basis of examination is one of the key reasons why other resources
and sites of learning are ignored. Inculcating creativity and initiative is possible
if we perceive and treat children as participants in learning, not as receivers
of a fixed body of knowledge.
These aims imply considerable change in school routines and mode of
functioning. Flexibility in the daily time-table is as necessary as rigour in
implementing the annual calendar so that the required number of teaching
days are actually devoted to teaching. The methods used for teaching and
evaluation will also determine how effective this textbook proves for making
children’s life at school a happy experience, rather than a source of stress or
boredom. Syllabus designers have tried to address the problem of curricular
burden by restructuring and reorienting knowledge at different stages with
greater consideration for child psychology and the time available for teaching.
The textbook attempts to enhance this endeavour by giving higher priority and
 TEXTBOOK DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

CHAIRMAN, ADVISORY GROUP FOR TEXTBOOKS IN SCIENCE AND MATHEMATICS

J.V. Narlikar, Emeritus Professor, Chairman, Advisory Committee Inter
University Centre for Astronomy & Astrophysics (IUCCA), Ganeshbhind,
Pune University, Pune
CHIEF ADVISOR
Rupamanjari Ghosh, Professor, School of Physical Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru
University, New Delhi
MEMBERS
Anjni Koul, Lecturer, Department of Education in Science and Mathematics
(DESM), NCERT, New Delhi
Anupam Pachauri, 1317, Sector 37, Faridabad, Haryana
Anuradha Gulati, TGT, CRPF Public School, Rohini, Delhi
Asfa M. Yasin, Reader, Pandit Sunderlal Sharma Central Institute of Vocational
Education, NCERT, Bhopal
Charu Maini, PGT, DAV School, Sector 14, Gurgaon, Haryana
Dinesh Kumar, Reader, DESM, NCERT, New Delhi
Gagan Gupta, Reader, DESM, NCERT, New Delhi
H.L. Satheesh, TGT , DM School, Regional Institute of Education, Mysore
Madhuri Mahapatra, Reader, Regional Institute of Education, Bhubaneswar,
Orissa
Puran Chand, Jt. Director, Central Institute of Educational Technology, NCERT,
New Delhi
S.C. Jain, Professor, DESM, NCERT, New Delhi
Sujatha G.D., Assistant Mistress, V.V.S. Sardar Patel High School, Rajaji Nagar,
Bangalore
S.K. Dash, Reader, DESM, NCERT, New Delhi
Seshu Lavania, Reader, Department of Botany, University of Lucknow, Lucknow
Satyajit Rath, Scientist, National Institute of Immunology, JNU Campus, New
Delhi
Sukhvir Singh, Reader, DESM, Regional Institute of Education, Ajmer, Rajasthan
Uma Sudhir, Eklavya, Indore
MEMBER-COORDINATOR
Brahm Parkash, Professor, DESM, NCERT, New Delhi
 A CKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The National Council of Educational Research and Training is grateful to the

members of the Textbook Development Team, whose names are given separately,
for their contribution in the development of the Science textbook for Class IX.
The Council also gratefully acknowledges the contribution of the participating
members of the Review Workshop in the finalisation of the book: P.K.
Bhattacharya, Professor, DESM, NCERT; Anita Julka, Reader, DEGSN, NCERT;
Tausif Ahmad, PGT, New Era Sr. Sec. School, New Delhi; Samarketu, PGT in
Physics, JNV, MESRA, Ranchi; Meenakshi Sharma, PGT in Biology, SVEM,
Ankleshwar, Gujarat; Raji Kamlasanan, PGT in Biology, DTEA SNSU School,
R.K. Puram, New Delhi; Meenambika Menon, TGT in Science, Cambridge School,
Noida; Lalit Gupta, TGT in Science, Govt. Boys Sr. Sec. School No. 2, Uttam
Nagar, New Delhi; Manoj Kumar Gupta, Lecturer in Chemistry, Mukherji
Memorial Sr. Sec. School, Shahdara, Delhi; Vijay Kumar, Vice-Principal, Govt.
Sarvodaya, Co. Edu. Sr. Sec. School, Anand Vihar, Delhi; Kanhaya Lal, Principal
(Retd.), Deptt. of Education, GNCT of Delhi, Delhi; K.B. Gupta, Professor (Retd.),
NCERT, New Delhi; Kuldeep Singh, TGT in Science, JNV, Meerut; R.A. Goel,
Principal (Retd.), Delhi; Sumit Kumar Bhatnagar, Department of Education,
GNCT of Delhi, Delhi.
Acknowledgements are due to M. Chandra, Professor and Head,
Department of Education in Science and Mathematics, NCERT, New Delhi for
providing all academic and administrative support.
The Council also gratefully acknowledges the support provided by the APC
Office of DESM, administrative staff of DESM; Deepak Kapoor, Incharge
Computer Centre, DESM; Saima, DTP Operator; Mohd. Qamar Tabrez,
Copy Editor; Mathew John and Randhir Thakur, Proof Readers. The efforts of
the Publication Department, NCERT are also highly appreciated.
 CONTENTS
FOREWORD iii

Chapter 1 MATTER IN O UR SURROUNDINGS 1

Chapter 2 IS M ATTER AROUND US PURE 14

Chapter 3 A TOMS AND MOLECULES 31

Chapter 4 S TRUCTURE OF THE ATOM 46

Chapter 5 THE FUNDAMENTAL UNIT OF LIFE 57

Chapter 6 TISSUES 68

Chapter 7 DIVERSITY IN LIVING ORGANISMS 80

Chapter 8 MOTION 98

Chapter 9 FORCE AND LAWS OF MOTION 114

Chapter 10 GRAVITATION 131

Chapter 11 W ORK AND ENERGY 146

Chapter 12 SOUND 160

Chapter 13 W HY DO WE FALL ILL 176

Chapter 14 NATURAL RESOURCES 189

Chapter 15 IMPROVEMENT IN FOOD RESOURCES 203

A NSWERS 216 – 218