Material Properties

Question 1

What are mechanical properties?

Answer 1

They are associated with how a material reacts to an external force.

Question 2

What are physical properties ?

Answer 2

They are associated with the actual make-up or structure of the material.

Question 3

What is compressive strength?

Answer 3

The ability to withstand being crushed or shortened by pushing forces (compression).

Question 4

What is tensile strength?

Answer 4

The ability to resist stretching or pulling forces (tension).

Question 5

What is bending strength?

Answer 5

The ability to resist forces that may bend the material.

Question 6

What is shear strength ?

Answer 6

The ability to resist sliding forced on a parallel plane.

Question 7

What is torsional strength?

Answer 7

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

Question 8

What is hardness?

Answer 8

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

Question 9

What is toughness ?

Answer 9

The ability to absorb impact force without fracture.

Question 10

What is plasticity?

Answer 10

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

Question 11

What is ductility?

Answer 11

The ability to be drawn out under tension, reducing the cross-sectional area without cracking.

Question 12

What is malleability?

Answer 12

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

Question 13

What is elasticity?

Answer 13

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

Question 14

What is an electrical conductor ?

Answer 14

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

Question 15

What is an electrical insulator?

Answer 15

It does not allow the flow of electricity through the material.

Question 16

What is a thermal conductor ?

Answer 16

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

Question 17

What is a thermal insulator ?

Answer 17

It prevents the transfer of heat through the material.

Question 18

What is thermal expansion?

Answer 18

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

Question 19

What does opaque mean?

Answer 19

It prevents light from travelling through.

Question 20

What does translucent mean?

Answer 20

It allows light through but diffuses the light so that objects appear blurred. Frosted glass is an example of a translucent material.

Question 21

What does transparent mean?

Answer 21

It allows light to pass through easily, which means you can clearly see through the material.

Question 22

What is density ?

Answer 22

The mass of the material in a standard volume of space.

Question 23

What is fusibility?

Answer 23

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 24

What is magnetism ?

Answer 24

The natural force between object that chases the material to attract iron or steels.

Question 25

What is corrosion/ degradation resistance?

Answer 25

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