Alloys

Question 1

How are alloys created?

Answer 1

By mixing two metals together or a metal and a non-metal.

Question 2

Why does pure iron tend to be bendy?

Answer 2

• Straight from the blast furnace is only 96% iron (other 4% is impurities such as carbon).
• Impure iron is used as cast iron. Handy for making ornamental railings. ⇒ Not many other uses because it’s brittle
• All impurities are removed from most of the blast furnace iron ⇒ Regular arrangement of identical atoms ⇒ Layers of atoms can slide over eachother making the iron soft and easily shaped. Iron is too bendy for most uses.

Question 4

Uses of alloys

Answer 4

• Bronze is harder than copper - good for making metals and statues
• Aluminium has a low density- alloyed with small amounts of other metals to make it stronger
• Pure gold is too soft. Metals suchas zinc, copper, silver and nickel are used to harden the “gold”
• cupronickel is hard and corrosion resistant. It is used to make “silver” coins.