Properties of Materials

Goal: Students will be able to

describe various physical properties
that materials have
 Discussion
differentiate between chemical and
physical properties

At your tables list examples of chemical

and physical properties.
I will call on each table and make a list of
all the ones we can think of.
 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
luster
color density
size magnetism
texture odor
melting point viscosity
boiling point crystalline structure
solubility
 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
 Some of the properties
At your tables you will find some signs with
different physical properties.
Go around between tables and answer the
questions on a separate piece of paper.
 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
 City of Materials
http://www.cityofmaterials.com
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.