Materials Scientists Making the right choices
How do we decide what material to use for what job? How do the properties of a material determine its’ use?
Lets start with looking at why we don’t choose certain materials
Why would we not make… a rubber bridge chocolate teapot a lead parachute a wooden light-bulb a glass tyre a concrete lifebelt Try to use the following words in your explanation: FlexibleConductor BrittleMelting pointDensity These are physical properties of materials
What would we use to make a bridge teapot a parachute a light-bulb a tyre a lifebelt Try to use the following words in your explanation: FlexibleConductor BrittleMelting pointDensity
Material Properties Strength –How much force is needed to break it Hardness –How difficult it is to scratch Conductivity (heat and/or electricity) –How well it lets the energy flow through it Stiffness –How flexible it is Melting point –The temperature at which it turns from solid to liquid Density –How much mass it has for a given size
Some of these materials occur naturally An increasing number are man-made (synthetic) NaturalSynthetic
Draw a car and label with the material used for each part and why