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
 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
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.