Properties of Materials

Goal: Students will be able to

describe various physical
properties that materials have
 Discussion
 differentiate between chemical and
physical properties
 Chemical Properties
 how a material interacts with another
material

 “social” behavior

 response to other matter (or lack of

response)

 reactions
 Chemical Properties
 Examples:
 burning
 reaction with acid
 reaction with water
 corrosion/rusting/oxidation
 others????
 Physical Properties
 characteristics it possesses by itself
(in and of itself)

 “personal” traits

 response to energy
 Physical Properties
 color  luster
 size  density
 texture  magnetism
 melting point  odor
 boiling point  viscosity
 solubility  crystalline structure
 Physical Properties
 Electrical properties
 conductor or insulator

 Optical properties – response to light

 index of refraction – bending of light
 transparent – light passes through
 translucent – some light passes through but no
distinct image
 opaque – no light passes through
 Physical Properties
 Thermal properties – response to heat

 conductivity

 specific heat – how much energy it takes to

change temperature

 thermal expansion – example: iron wire

demo
 Mechanical Properties
 subgroup of physical
 response to force or stress
 force – a push or pull

 stress – force causing a deformation or

distortion (force per unit area)
 Mechanical Properties
Examples
 workability
 malleability – can be flattened
 ductility – can be drawn into wire
(stretched), bent, or extruded
 Mechanical Properties
Examples
 brittleness
 breaks instead of deforming when stress is
applied

 hardness
 resistance to denting or scratching
 Mechanical Properties
Examples
 elasticity
 ability to return to original shape after
being deformed by stress
 rubber ball or piece of elastic
 plasticity
 retains new shape after being deformed by
stress
 wet clay ball or piece of saran wrap
 Index of Refraction
Question. What two materials here have a similar index of refraction?
(the three materials are glass, HDPE, and mineral oil)

Electrical conductivity
What materials here are non-conductive electrically?
(the materials are brass, copper coated steel, wax, glass and carbon fiber)

Hardness
Which material here is the hardest?
(Pine and Melamine)
 Mechanical Properties
Examples
 toughness
 ability to absorb energy
 resistance to fracture

 strength
 resistance to distortion by stress or force
 several types: tensile, compressive,
torsional, bending, shear
Types of Stresses/Forces
 Tension
 pulling
 examples: tug-of-war, slingshot

 Compression
 pushing together or squeezing
 examples: bed springs, can crusher, bench vise
straight line = elastic region
curved line = plastic region

Ceramic or metal
glass

stress polymer

strain
General Classes of Materials
Polymers
Ceramics
Composites
Metals and Alloys
Metals and Alloys
Wood and Wood Products
 Free write

 On a piece of paper please describe

various physical and chemical properties
that material's have. If you can, include
how you could test those physical
properties.
 Research

 Identify the Allowable stresses for a 16mm

and a 12mm Diameter Steel bar. If a
certain amount of force is applied to both
its ends determine the deformation and
the actual stress at the point of rupture.
These data will be compared to the actual
results to be acquired next meeting.
 (300 KN to 800 KN with increments of 20)