Question

Match the following fibres with the smell they produce, when they are burned.

• A. Burning hair
• B. Burning paper
• C. Burning plastic

Answer 1

Cotton is obtained from cotton bolls and paper is obtained from wood pulp. Thus, both of them are made of cellulose. When burnt, cotton produces a smell similar to that of burning paper.

Wool is obtained from the hair of animals like sheep, yak, etc. On burning, they produce a smell similar to that of burning hair since they contain the same protein that is present in hair.

When burnt, nylon produces a smell similar to that of burning plastic as they both are manufactured from petrochemicals.