Material Properties

Question 1

What are the two principal categories of material properties?

Answer 1

Mechanical and Physical

Question 2

Define mechanical properties?

Answer 2

How a material reacts to an external force.

Question 3

Define Physical properties?

Answer 3

The actual make-up or structure of the material.

Question 4

Name as many mechanical properties of materials?

Answer 4

Compressive strength, tensile strength, bending strength, shear strength, torsional strength, hardness, toughness, plasticity, ductility, malleability and elasticity.

Question 5

Name as many physical properties of materials?

Answer 5

Electrical conductor, electrical insulator, thermal conductor, thermal insulator, thermal expansion, opaque, translucent, transparent, density, fusibility, magnetism and corrosion/degradation resistance.

Question 6

Define Compressive strength?

Answer 6

The ability to withstand being crushed or shortened.

Question 7

Define Tensile strength?

Answer 7

The ability to resist stretching or pulling force.

Question 8

Define Bending strength?

Answer 8

The ability to resist forces that may bend the material.

Question 9

Define Torsional strength?

Answer 9

The ability to withstand twisting forces from applied torque or torsion.

Question 10

Define Shear strength?

Answer 10

The ability to resist sliding forces on a parallel plane.

Question 11

Define Hardness?

Answer 11

The ability to resist abrasive wear such as scratching, surface indentation or cutting.

Question 12

Define Toughness?

Answer 12

The ability to absorb impact force without fracture.

Question 13

Define Plasticity?

Answer 13

The ability to be permanently deformed (shaped) and retain the deformed shape

Question 14

Define Ductility?

Answer 14

The ability to be drawn out under tension, reducing the cross-sectional area without cracking, for example stretching a material into a wire.

Question 15

Define Malleability?

Answer 15

The ability to withstand deformation by compression without cracking. Malleability increases with a rise in temperature.

Question 16

Define Elasticity?

Answer 16

The ability to be deformed and then return to the original shape when the force is removed.

Question 17

Define Electrical conductor?

Answer 17

Allows the flow of electrical current through the material. A good conductor gives very little resistance to the flow of charge.

Question 18

Define Electrical insulator?

Answer 18

Does not allow the flow of electricity through the material.

Question 19

Define Thermal conductor?

Answer 19

Allows the transfer of heat energy through the material. A material with high thermal conductivity allows the transfer of heat to occur quickly across the material.

Question 20

Define thermal insulator?

Answer 20

Prevents the transfer of heat through the material.

Question 21

Define thermal expansion?

Answer 21

The increase in material volume in response to a heat input.

Question 22

Define Opaque?

Answer 22

Prevents light from travelling through.

Question 23

Define Translucent?

Answer 23

Allows light through but diffuses the light so that objects appear blurred. Frosted glass in an example of a translucent material.

Question 24

Deine Transparent?

Answer 24

Allows light to pass through easily which means you can see clearly through the material.

Question 25

Define Density?

Answer 25

The mass of the material in standard volume of space.

Question 26

Define Fusibility?

Answer 26

The ability of the material to be fused or converted from a solid to a liquid or molten state, usually by heat. Good fusibility is an essential property for a metal being cast.

Question 27

Define Magnetism?

Answer 27

The natural force between objects that causes the material to attract iron or steels.

Question 28

Define Corrosion/degradation resistance?

Answer 28

The ability of the material to withstand environmental attack or decay.