What are materials or substances?

Everything around you is made of materials or substances, which are like the building blocks of the world.

Imagine you have a toy box full of different toys, cars, blocks, and balls. Each toy is made of something special, like plastic or wood. Materials are like those special things that make up the toys (or your shoes, or your favorite snack). For example, your lunchbox might be made of metal, while your pencil is made of wood and graphite.

Now think about a glass of water. That’s a substance, because it's just one kind of stuff, clear liquid that fills up the glass. But if you add some juice to it, now you have two substances mixed together. A substance is like a single kind of stuff, pure and simple, like sugar or sand.

So whether you're playing with blocks or sipping your favorite drink, you’re touching materials and substances every day!