Alloys

Question 1

Why is iron often alloyed?

Answer 1

Pure iron had a regular arrangement of identical atoms so the layers can easily slide over each other making iron too soft and bendy for most uses

Question 2

What is most iron alloyed into?

Answer 2

Steel (formed by adding small amounts of carabins and sometimes other metals to iron)

Question 3

What is low carbon steel?

Answer 3

0.1% carbon
Easily shaped
Used for car bodies

Question 4

What is high carbon steel?

Answer 4

1.5% carbon
Very hard, inflexible
Used for blades on cutting tools and bridges

Question 5

What is stainless steel?

Answer 5

Chromium and sometimes nickel added

Corrosion-resistant

Often used for cutlery, containers for corrosive substances

Question 6

Why are alloys harder than pure metals?

Answer 6

Différent atoms have different sized atoms so when elements are mixed the layers are disrupted making it more difficult for layers to slide over each other

Question 7

What is bronze?

Answer 7

Copper and tin
Harder than copper
Used for making medals and statues

Question 8

What is cupronickel?

Answer 8

Copper and nickel
Hard and corrosion resistant
Used to make ‘silver’ coins

Question 9

What is gold alloyed with and why?

Answer 9

Pure gold is too soft so metals such as zinc, copper, silver, pallidum and nickel are used to harden the gold

Used for jewellery