Materials and their Working Properties

Question 1

What is absorbency?

Answer 1

ability of a material to take in or soak up a substance (papers, boards and natural fibres are good absorbers)

Question 2

What is density?

Answer 2

Materials mass per unit volume, ‘compactness’ (metals are dense)

Question 3

What is fusibility?

Answer 3

ability to be transformed into a molten or liquid state, the lower the melting point the higher the fusibility (solder is very fusible)

Question 4

What is electrical conductivity?

Answer 4

Ability to conduct electricity (metals are generally good electrical conductors)

Question 5

What is thermal conductivity?

Answer 5

Ability to conduct heat (metals are generally good thermal conductors)

Question 6

What is strength?

Answer 6

Ability of a material to withstand force without breaking. There are multiple types of forces and so a material can be strong in one aspect and weak in another for example concrete is strong in compression but weak in tension

Question 7

What is hardness?

Answer 7

Ability of a material to resist wear, abrasion or denting (diamond)

Question 8

What is toughness?

Answer 8

Ability of a material to absorb energy without fracturing

Question 9

What is malleability?

Answer 9

Ability of a material to be bent and shaped without breaking

Question 10

What is ductility?

Answer 10

Ability of a material to be stretched and pulled into a strand without breaking

Question 11

What is elasticity?

Answer 11

Ability of a material to return to it’s original shape after being stretched, bent or compressed

Question 12

What is the difference between paper and board?

Answer 12

Paper has a gsm of less than 200

Question 13

What are the properties of bleed proof paper and what are its uses?

Answer 13

• Bleed-proof paper is smooth thick paper that prevents ink from seeping and bleeding
• Quality presentational drawings

Question 14

What are the properties of cartridge paper and what are its uses?

Answer 14

• Creamy white paper with a textured surface
• Drawings and paintings

Question 15

What are the properties of grid paper and what are its uses?

Answer 15

• White paper with a printed grid of isometric lines or squares
• Scale drawings, quick sketching and model making

Question 16

What are the properties of layout paper and what are its uses?

Answer 16

• Thin, relatively transparent paper with a smooth surface
• Copying design work and general tracing

Question 17

What are the properties of tracing paper and what are its uses?

Answer 17

• Thin, transparent paper with a smooth surface
• General tracing and copying of designs