There are so many materials around us, some of them are quite clear that they are natural such as wheat, fruits etc. However, some of the materials are man-made, but they still seem to be extracted from natural raw materials, for instance, glass.
Is glass a natural or man-made material?
Can anyone provide a list of materials which shows which one is natural and which ones are man-made (synthetic)?
Gordon
Natural Materials
These materials are found naturally. Natural materials are usually come straight from the earth or living beings.
Natural materials which are extracted from the earth (underground)
Natural materials come from living beings like animals.
Man-Made (Synthetic) Materials
Man-made or synthetic materials are those which are made by people by using various materials. These raw materials are usually changed substantially before making products. Some examples of man-made or synthetic products are below.
Kerr
The glass which we use is not a natural material. It is going through a sophisticated production process using silica (sand) as a main raw material.
In nature, glass is also formed which is called obsidian or volcanic glass. However, it is not what we see around us in building and kitchen.