Materials and their application Flashcards
What are mechanical properties?
Properties associated with how a material reacts to an external force
What is compressive strength?
Ability to withstand being crushed or shortened by pulling forces (compression)
What is tensile strength?
The ability to resist stretching or pulling forces (tension)
What is bending strength?
The ability role resist forces that may bend a material
What is shear strength?
The ability to resist sliding forces on a parallel plane
What is the torsional strength?
The ability to withstand twisting forces from applied torque or torsion
What is plasticity?
The ability to be permanently deformed (shaped) and retain the deformed shape
What is hardness?
The ability to resist abrasive wear such as scratching, surface indentation or cutting
What is ductility?
The ability to be drawn out under tension, reducing cross-sectional area without cracking
What is malleability?
Ability to withstand deformation by compression without cracking; malleability increases as temperature increases
What is elasticity?
The ability to be deformed and then return to the original shape when the force is removed
What are physical properties of a material?
They re associated with the actual, make-up or structure of the material
What are examples of mechanical properties?
- compressive strength
- tensile strength
- bending strength
- shear strength
- torsional strength
- hardness
- toughness
- plasticity
- ductility
- malleability
- elasticity
What are examples of physical properties?
- density
- fusibility
- magnetism
- Corrosion/degradation resistance
What is density?
The mass of the material in a standard volume of space
What is fusibility?
The ability of the material to be fused or converted from a solid, liquid or molten state
What class of material would need to have good fusibility?
Metals so that they can be cast
What is magnetism?
The natural force between objects that causes the material to attract irons or steels
What is corrosion/degradation resistance?
The ability of a material to withstand environmental attack and decay
What is an electrical conductor?
Allows the flow of electrical current through the material. Good conductor gives little resistance
What is an electrical insulator?
Does not allow the flow of electricity through the material
What is a thermal conductor?
Allows the transfer of heat energy through the material. High thermal conductivity means heat is transferred faster
What is a thermal insulator?
Prevents the transfer of heat through the material
What is thermal expansion?
The increase in material volume in response to a heat input
What are optical properties?
How light passes through an object
What is an opaque object?
An object that prevents light from travelling through
What is a translucent object?
Allows light through but diffuses the light so the object seems blurred (eg frosted glass)
What is a transparent object?
Allows light to pass through easily, which means you can see clearly through the material
