CBSE syllabus for class VIII 2010 and 2011 for science subject is divided in seven topics and below you can also find some questions related to every topic. Pattern of syllabus is easy to follow and it also assists in comfortable studies. Following are the details of CBSE science syllabus for class VIII:

1. Food

Crop production

Questions

· How are different food crops produced?

· What are the various foods we get from animal sources?

Key Concepts

Crop production: Soil preparation, selection of seeds, sowing, applying fertilizers, irrigation, weeding, harvesting and storage; nitrogen fixation, nitrogen cycle.

Micro-organisms

Questions

· What living organisms do we see under a microscope in a drop of water?

· What helps make curd?

· How does food go bad?

· How do we preserve food?

Key Concepts

Micro organisms – useful and harmful

2. Materials

Materials in daily life

Questions

· Are some of our clothes synthetic?

· How are they made?

· Where do the raw materials come from?

· Do we use other materials that are synthetic?

· Do we use cloth (fabric) for purposes other than making clothes to wear?

· What kind of fabric do we see around us?

· What are they used for?

Key Concepts

Synthetic clothing materials, other synthetic materials, especially plastics; usefulness of plastics and problems associated with their excessive use.

Different kinds of materials and their reactions

Questions

· Can a wire be drawn out of wood?

· Do copper or aluminium also rust like iron?

· What is the black material inside a pencil?

· Why are electrical wires made of aluminium or copper?

Key Concepts

Metals and non-metals

How things change/ react with one another

Questions

· What happens to the wax when a candle is burnt?

· Is it possible to get this wax back?

· What happens to kerosene/natural gas when it is burnt?

· Which fuel is the best? Why?

Key Concepts

Combustion, flame All fuels release heat on burning, Burning of fuels leads to harmful by products.

3. The World of the Living

Questions

· What are reserve forests/ sanctuaries etc?

· How do we keep track of our plants and animals?

· How do we know that some species are in danger of disappearing?

· What would happen if you continuously cut trees?

Key Concepts

Conservation of biodiversity/wild life/ plants; zoos, sanctuaries, forest reserves etc. flora, fauna endangered species, red data book; endemic species, migration

The cell

Questions

· What is the internal structure of a plant – what will we see if we look under the microscope?

· Which cells from our bodies can be easily seen?

· Are all cells similar?

Key Concepts

Cell structure, plant and animal cells, use of stain to observe, cell organelles – nucleus, vacuole, chloroplast, cell membrane, cell wall

How babies are formed

Questions

· How do babies develop inside the mother?

· Why does our body change when we reach our teens?

· How is the sex of the child determined?

· Who looks after the babies in your homes?

· Do all animals give birth to young ones?

Key Concepts

Sexual reproduction and endocrine system in animals, secondary sexual characters, reproductive health; internal and external fertilisation

4. Moving Things, People and Ideas

Questions

· What happens when we push or pull anything?

· How can we change the speed, direction of a moving object?

· How can we shape the shape of an object?

Key Concepts

Idea of force-push or pull; change in speed, direction of moving objects and shape of objects by applying force; contact and non-contact forces

Friction

Questions

· What makes a ball rolling on the ground slow down?

Key Concepts

Friction – factors affecting friction, sliding and rolling friction, moving; advantages and disadvantages of friction for the movement of automobiles, airplanes and boats/ships; increasing and reducing friction.

Pressure

Questions

· Why are needles made pointed?

· Why does a balloon burst if too much air is blown into it?

· Why does an inverted glass/ bottle/pitcher resist being pushed down into water?

· How can air/liquids exert pressure?

Key Concepts

Idea of pressure; pressure exerted by air/liquid; atmospheric pressure.

Sound

Questions

· How do we communicate through sound?

· How is sound produced?

· What characterises different sounds?

Key Concepts

Various types of sound; sources of sound; vibration as a cause of sound; frequency; medium for propagation of sound; idea of noise as unpleasant and unwanted sound and need to minimise noise.

5. How Things Work

Electric current and circuits

Questions

· Why do we get a shock when we touch an electric appliance with wet hands?

· What happens to a conducting solution when electric current flows through it?

· How can we coat an object with a layer of metal?

Key Concepts

Water conducts electricity depending on presence/ absence of salt in it. Other liquids may or may not conduct electricity, Chemical effects of current, Basic idea of electroplating.

6. Natural Phenomena

Rain, thunder and lightning

Questions

· What is lightning?

· What safety measures should we take against lightning strikes?

Key Concepts

Clouds carry electric charge. Positive and negative charges, attraction and repulsion, Principle of lightning conductor.

Light

Questions

· What are the differences between the images formed on a new utensil and an old one? Why is there this difference?

· When you see your image in the mirror it appears as if the left is on the right – why?

· Why don’t we see images on all surfaces around us?

· What makes things visible?

· How do we see images of our back in a mirror?

· Why do we sometimes see colours on oil films on water?

· What is inside our eye that enables us to see?

· Why are some people unable to see?

Key Concepts

Laws of reflection, Characteristics of image formed with a plane mirror, Regular and diffused reflection. Reflection of light from an object to the eye, Multiple reflection, Dispersion of light, Structure of the eye, Lens becomes opaque, light not reaching the eye. Visually challenged use other senses to make sense of the world around, Alternative technology available, Role of nutrition in relation to blindness

Night sky

Questions

· What do we see in the sky at night?

· How can we identify stars and planets?

Key Concepts

Idea about heavenly bodies/celestial objects and their classification – moon, planets, stars, constellations. Motion of celestial objects in space; the solar system

Earthquakes

Questions

· What happens during an earthquake?

· What can we do to minimise its effects?

Key Concepts

Phenomena related to earthquakes

7. Natural Resources

Man’s intervention in phenomena of nature

Questions

· What do we do with wood?

· What if we had no wood?

· What will happen it we go on cutting trees/grass without limit?

· What do we do with coal and petroleum?

· Can we create coal and petroleum artificially?

Key Concepts

Consequences of deforestation: scarcity of products for humans and other living beings, change in physical properties of soil, reduced rainfall, Reforestation; recycling of paper, Formation of coal and petroleum in nature

Pollution of air and water

Questions

· What are the various activities by human beings that make air impure?

· Does clear, transparent water indicate purity?

Key Concepts

Water and air are increasingly getting polluted and therefore become scarce for use.