Materials & Their Properties

Question 1

What are physical properties?

Answer 1

Material that can be measured in their natural state

Question 2

What is absorbency?

Answer 2

The ability of a material to soak up or draw in heart, light or moisture

Question 3

What is density?

Answer 3

The mass, per unit volume of any material.How solid a material is.

Question 4

What is electrical conductivity?

Answer 4

The measure at which a material can transport electricity

Question 5

What is fusibilty?

Answer 5

The ability of a material to be convented from a solid to a fluid state by heat and combined with another material

Question 6

What is thermal conductivity?

Answer 6

The measure of a material’s ability to transfer heat

Question 7

What are working properties?

Answer 7

Describe how a material responds when it is manipulated or worked

Question 8

What is ductility?

Answer 8

The ability of a material to be stretched or drawn or pulled without breaking

Question 9

What is elasticity?

Answer 9

The ability to return to its original shape after stretching or compression

Question 10

What is hardness?

Answer 10

The ability to withstand impact, wear, abrasion and indentation

Question 11

What is malleability?

Answer 11

The ability to be bend and shaped without cracking or splitting

Question 12

What is strength?

Answer 12

The ability to withstand a force such as pressure

Question 13

What is toughness?

Answer 13

The ability to absorb shock without fracturing

Question 14

Describe what tree hardwood comes from

Answer 14

Hardwood comes from deciduous trees with usually have a broad-leafed variety that drops its leaves in the winter. They usually grow slow which makes them more dense and expensive

Question 15

What are the different types of hardwood?

Answer 15

Ash, Beech, Mahogany, Balsa and Oak

Question 16

What are the properties and uses of Ash?

Answer 16

Properties: Flexible, tough and shock resistant, laminates wall and Pale Brown.
Uses: Sport equipment and tool handles

Question 17

What are the properties and uses of Beech?

Answer 17

Properties: Fine Finish, tough and durable and Beige with pink hue
Uses: Children’s toys and models, furniture and veneers

Question 18

What are the properties and uses of Mahogany?

Answer 18

Properties: Easily worked, durable and finishes well and Reddish brown
Uses: High End furniture and joinery, veneers

Question 19

What are the properties and uses of Balsa?

Answer 19

Properties: Very soft and spongy, good strength to weight ratio and Pale cream/white
Uses: Prototyping and modelling

Question 20

What are the properties and uses of Oak?

Answer 20

Properties: Tough, Hard and durable, high quality finish possible and Light Brown
Uses: Flooring, furniture, railway sleepers, veneers

Question 21

Describe what tree softwood comes from

Answer 21

Softwood comes from coniferous trees that usually bears needles and has cones. Grow usually quicker then deciduous trees so more cheaper

Question 22

What are the different types of softwood?

Answer 22

Pine, Spruce and Larch

Question 23

What are the properties and uses of Pine?

Answer 23

Properties: Lightweight, easy to work, can split and be resinous near knots and Pale Yellowish brown
Uses: Interior construction and furniture

Question 24

What are the properties and uses of Spruce?

Answer 24

Properties: Easy to work, high stiffness to weight ratio and creamy white
Uses: Construction, furniture and musical instruments

Question 25

What are the properties and uses of Larch?

Answer 25

Properties: Durable, tough, good water resistance, good surface finish and Pale reddish brown
Uses: Exterior cladding, decking, flooring, manufactured mouldings, furniture and joinery railway sleepers and veneers

Question 26

Give two differences between hardwood and softwood

Answer 26

Hardwood - comes from deciduous trees
Softwood - comes from coniferous trees
Deciduous trees are usually slower growing which makes the wood denser

Question 27

What are manufactured boards?

Answer 27

Manufactured boards are timber sheets which are produced by gluing wood layers or wood fibres together. Manufactured boards often made use of waste wood materials.

Question 28

What are the different types of manufactured boards?

Answer 28

Chipboard, Medium density fibreboard (MDF), Plywood

Question 29

What are the properties and uses of Chipwood?

Answer 29

Properties: Good compressive strength, not water resistant unless treated, good value but prone to chipping on edges and corners
Uses: Flooring, low-end furniture, kitchen units and worktops

Question 30

What are the properties and uses of MDF?

Answer 30

Properties: Rigid and stable, with a smooth, easy to finish surface. Very absorbent so not as good in high humidity or damp areas.
Uses: Good value, flat pack furniture, toys, kitchen units and internal construction

Question 31

What are the properties and uses of Plywood?

Answer 31

Properties: Very stable in all directions due to alternate layering at 90*C, with outside layers running in the same direction.
Uses: Furniture, shelving, toys and construction. Interior, exterior and marine grades available for greater water resistance

Question 32

What are advantages of using manufactured timber over natural timber

Answer 32

1 - Available in large board sizes which can reduce the number of joins
2- Cheaper than natural timber
3- Good insulator and easily cut
4 - Can be easily laminated to apply a wide range of finishes

Question 33

What are disadvantages of using manufactured timber over natural timber

Answer 33

1- Dense which makes them heavy in large sheets
2 - Can quickly blunt blades and cutting tools in the production process
3 - Resins and blinders can be toxic so precautions must be taken
4 - Edges are difficult to finish due to no natural end grain