Paheli went to the market to buy sarees for her mother. She took out a thread from the edge of the two sarees shown by the shopkeeper and burnt them. One thread burnt with the smell of burning hair and the other burnt with the smell of burning paper. Which thread is from a pure cotton saree and which one from a pure silk saree? Give a reason for your answer.

Question

MyClass24 · Accepted Answer

Soln:
A thread which burns with the smell of burning paper is of cotton because both paper and cotton are cellulose which is carbohydrate and hence they burn with similar odour. Similarly, the thread which is burnt with the smell of burning hair is silk because silk, as well as hair, are proteins hence they burn with a similar characteristic smell.