Final answer:
Out of the listed options, the one that does not qualify as matter is D) Sunlight, because it does not have mass or take up space, in contrast to the other items listed which all qualify as matter.
Step-by-step explanation:
The subject of the student's inquiry is about identifying matter from a list of items. To understand which of the following is not matter, we need to refer to the definition of matter, which is anything that has mass and takes up space. Examples of matter include a book, food, and air. On the other hand, non-matter examples would be thoughts, ideas, and emotions.
In the context of the items provided by the student, these would be categorized as follows:
- A desk (Matter)
- An orange (Matter)
- A pencil (Matter)
- Sunlight (Not Matter)
- A piece of paper (Matter)
- A cookie (Matter)
The correct answer to which of the listed items is not matter is D) Sunlight. This is because sunlight, while a form of energy, does not have mass and does not take up space. It is a wave/particle of light and is not classified as matter.