Physical Properties

Question 1

fusibility

Answer 1

the ability of a material to change into a molten or liquid state when heated to a certain temperature, i.e melting point, varies between materials but is essential to processes such as casting welding and soldering

Question 2

density

Answer 2

defined as mass per unit volume — relative density is the ratio of the density of the substance to that of pure water at a temperature of 4 degrees celsius

Question 3

electrical conductivity

Answer 3

all materials resist the flow of electricity to some extent - conductors offer a very low resistance to the flow of an electric current, e.g metals like copper, silver and gold

Question 4

electrical insulators

Answer 4

offer a high resistance to the flow of electricity — non-metals are generally good insulators but vary individually e.g ceramics, glass, nylon, PVC

Question 5

semi-conductors

Answer 5

slowed electric current to flow under certain conditions, e.g silicon and germanium in their pure state are poor conductors, but their electrical resistance can be altered by the addition of impurities