Question map
Consider the following: 1. Cigarette butts 2. Eyeglass lenses 3. Car tyres How many of them contain plastic?
Explanation
The correct answer is option C because all three items contain plastic.
Cigarette butts are made from cellulose acetate, a type of plastic.[1] This makes them a significant source of plastic pollution, with over 4 trillion cigarette butts littered globally each year.[2]
Lenses are pieces of transparent material, usually made of glass or plastic, which have curved surfaces.[3] Modern eyeglass lenses are commonly manufactured from plastic materials due to their lightweight nature and impact resistance, though glass is also used.
Car tyres lose material intensively due to wear and tear during the use phase, causing tyre dust[4], which is a form of microplastic pollution. Car tyres are made from synthetic rubber, which is essentially plastic polymer combined with natural rubber and other materials.
Therefore, all three items—cigarette butts, eyeglass lenses, and car tyres—contain plastic components.
Sources- [3] Science ,Class VIII . NCERT(Revised ed 2025) > Chapter 10: Light: Mirrors and Lenses > Activity 10.8: Let us explore > p. 162
- [4] https://wwfint.awsassets.panda.org/downloads/wwf_breaking_down_high_risk_plastic_products.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Guest previewThis question punishes rote-learners who only memorize 'banned lists' without understanding material science. It fuses a basic Class 8 NCERT fact (lenses) with high-level environmental reports (tyre dust & filters). The strategy is to audit 'everyday items' through the lens of environmental persistence—if it doesn't rot, it's likely plastic.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Explicitly states that cigarette filters are made of cellulose acetate and identifies that material as a type of plastic.
- Directly ties the filter material to 'plastic,' which answers whether butts contain plastic.
- States that cigarette butts are composed of cellulose acetate.
- Provides quantitative context (trillions of butts) reinforcing that the commonly cited filter material is cellulose acetate.
- Lists 'cigarette butts' among items categorized with other single-use non-packaging plastic items.
- Places cigarette butts in a section about 'Other single-use short-lived items' within a document addressing high-risk plastic products, implying they are considered plastic pollution.
Specifies that cigarette packets are listed among items associated with single‑use plastic/packing films, indicating the tobacco industry uses plastic materials in product packaging.
A student could infer that if packaging uses plastic, other components (like filters) might also use polymer materials and therefore test filters for synthetic fibers or polymers.
States plastics are widely used for packing and carry items because of cost and convenience, establishing a general pattern of plastic use in everyday consumer goods.
Use the general ubiquity of plastics to consider that cigarette components designed for mass manufacture (filters) may plausibly be made from plastic-derived materials and check manufacturing descriptions or material tests.
Describes plastics as non‑biodegradable and containing additives/plasticizers, highlighting how discarded plastic items persist and can harm environments.
If cigarette butts persist in the environment like other plastic waste, a student could look for slow degradation or presence of plastic additives in butt samples to support/contradict plastic content.
Explains that plastics in marine environments disintegrate into microparticulate debris (microplastics), suggesting that persistent disposal items can become microplastic sources.
A student could test collected cigarette butts for generation of microfibers/particles consistent with plastic breakdown to infer whether filters contain plastic.
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