Product Design

Question 1

Mechanical Properties

Answer 1

associated with how a material reacts to an external force

Question 2

Physical Properties

Answer 2

associated with the actual make-up or structure of the material

Question 3

Compressive Strength

Answer 3

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

Question 4

Tensile Strength

Answer 4

the ability to resist stretching or pulling forces (tension)

Question 5

Bending Strength

Answer 5

the ability to resist forces that may bend the material

Question 6

Shear Strength

Answer 6

the ability to resist sliding forces on a parallel plane

Question 7

Torsional Strength

Answer 7

the ability to withstand twisting forces from applied torque or torsion

Question 8

Hardness

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Toughness

Answer 9

the ability to absorb impact force without fracture

Question 10

Plasticity

Answer 10

the ability to be permanently deformed and retain the deformed shape

Question 11

Ductility

Answer 11

the ability to be drawn out under tension, reducing the cross-sectional area without cracking, for example stretching a material into a wire

Question 12

Malleability

Answer 12

the ability to withstand deformation by compression without cracking. this increases with a rise in temperature

Question 13

Elasticity

Answer 13

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

Question 14

electrical conductor

Answer 14

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

Question 15

electrical insulator

Answer 15

does not allow the flow of electricity through the material

Question 16

thermal conductor

Answer 16

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

Question 17

thermal insulator

Answer 17

prevents the transfer of heat through the material

Question 18

thermal expansion

Answer 18

the increase in material volume in response to a heat input

Question 19

opaque

Answer 19

prevents light from travelling through

Question 20

translucent

Answer 20

allows light through but diffuses the light so that objects appear blurred

Question 21

transparent

Answer 21

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

Question 22

density

Answer 22

mass of the material in a standard volume of space

Question 23

fusibility

Answer 23

ability of the material to be fused or converted from a solid to a liquid or molten state

Question 24

magnetism

Answer 24

the natural force between objects that causes the material to attract iron or steels

Question 25

corrosion / degradation resistance

Answer 25

the ability of the material to withstand environmental attack and decay

Question 26

ferrous metals

Answer 26

metal containing mostly iron and carbon. they are magnetic and will rust. examples are low carbon steel, medium carbon steel and cast iron

Question 27

non ferrous metals

Answer 27

a metal that does not contain iron. they are not magnetic and do not rust. examples are aluminium, copper, zinc, silver, gold, titanium, tin

Question 28

alloys

Answer 28

a metal made of two or more metals. examples of ferrous alloys are stainless steel, die steel. examples of non ferrous alloys are bronze, brass, pewter.

Question 29

hardwood

Answer 29

woods from broad-leafed trees. examples are oak, ash, mahogany, teak, birch, beech

Question 30

softwood

Answer 30

a wood from a coniferous tree. examples are pine, spruce, redwoods, cedar, larch

Question 31

manufactured board

Answer 31

a man made wood-based composite material. examples are plywood, marine plywood, aero ply, flexible plywood, chipboard, MDF

Question 32

thermoplastic

Answer 32

a material which can be repeatedly reheated and reshaped, allowing it to be recycled after its initial use. they have long linear chain molecules. examples are LDPE, HDPE, PP, HIPS, ABS

Question 33

thermosetting polymer

Answer 33

a material which when heated undergoes a chemical change where the molecules form rigid cross links. these cannot be reheated and reshaped, even at high temperatures. examples are UF, MF, polyester resin, epoxy resin

Question 34

elastomer

Answer 34

a material which at room temperature can be deformed under pressure and upon release of pressure, will return to its original shape. they have weak bonds which allow them to stretch easily. examples are natural rubber, polybutadiene, neoprene, silicone

Question 35

papers and boards

Answer 35

they are compliant materials, which can be scored, folded, and cut with basic tooling. examples are layout paper, tracing paper, bleed proof paper, treated paper, water colour paper, corrugated card

Question 36

composite

Answer 36

a material comprised of two or more different materials.