Questions: Natural vs. Manufactured Materials

Question 1

Which of these is a manufactured material?

• A. Wood
• B. Wool
• C. Plastic
• D. Cotton

Answer: (C)

Plastic is manufactured — it is made in factories by processing petroleum (a natural raw material) through chemical reactions. Wood comes from trees, wool comes from sheep, and cotton comes from cotton plants. All three are natural materials used with minimal processing.

Question 2

Manufactured materials are created from hardly anything in factories — they do not come from natural raw materials.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

Almost every manufactured material starts as a natural raw material. Glass is made from sand. Steel is made from iron ore. Plastic is made from petroleum. Concrete is made from limestone, sand, and gravel. Manufacturing processes transform natural materials into new materials with different properties — they do not create something from nothing.

Question 3

Give one advantage of natural materials and one advantage of manufactured materials.

Model answer: Natural materials are often renewable and biodegradable — wood grows back, cotton decomposes. Manufactured materials can be designed with precise, consistent properties — every batch of plastic can have the exact same strength and flexibility.

Neither type is universally better. Engineers choose based on the project's needs. A biodegradable flower pot might use a natural material. An airplane wing needs the precise, consistent strength of a manufactured aluminum alloy. Many projects use both types — a wooden table with steel screws and a polyurethane finish.