Inquiry

Properties of Materials

Zaheu 6S

1. Light Bulb

• A light bulb is made up of glass and has an electric wire charge called tungsten though which the electricity is run.

• Glass is made by melting sand and is normally transparent and can be made into many different shapes. Thick glass can be strong, but thin glass will break very easily. Glass is used for objects that need to be transparent such as windows and also light bulbs and glasses. Tungsten has a very high melting point, after carbon it has the second highest melting point of all elements.

2. Paperweight

• The paperweight at home is made of limestone.

• Limestone is a mineral that is rich in calcium. Limestone is made of calcite or calcium carbonate. This mineral is usually formed under the water of oceans, lakes, or seas from organisms that live in the water, common all over the Mediterranean and Europe. It is made up of the shells of billions of little tiny sea snails whose fossils have fused together over hundreds of years by the pressure from other shells, water and sand, forming rocks. When the waters receded over time, the limestone was visible on land.

3. Pressure Cooker Gasket

• The gasket of the pressure cooker is made of rubber.

• Rubber can be either natural or synthetic (man made). It is waterproof and is good for conducting heat. It is also resistant to tearing. Some types of rubber are resistant to oils, solvents, and other chemicals. Rubber is made into articles as diverse as raincoats and sponges, bowling balls and pillows, electrical insulation and erasers. People ride on rubber tires and walk on rubber heels. Rubber is also used in toys, balls, rafts, elastic bandages, adhesives and paints.

4. Door Hinges

• Door hinges are made of metal.

• Metal come from rocks called ores. They are strong, hard and shiny materials that can be hammered into different shapes without breaking. Many metals are good conductors of heat and electricity. Some metals are magnetic. Iron is the most magnetic metal. Their properties make them useful for objects such as cutlery, saucepans, cars and coins.

5. Cookie Box

• My cookie box is made of tin.

• Tin is a malleable metal that is resistant to corrosion is found in many alloys. It is mainly obtained from minerals.

6. Orthodox Icon

• An icon is a religious painting often done on wood.

• Wood comes from trees. It is strong, flexible and long lasting. Wood is used to make things such as furniture that need to be strong and last a long time.

7. Earrings

• My mother’s earrings are silver.

• Silver is a chemical element and is soft, shiny metal that is a good conductor of electricity. It is a precious metal that has been used for many years to make fine pieces of jewelry, coins, utensils and various pieces of art. Now, silver is also used in dentistry, electronics, photography, mirrors and in a number of industrial applications that make use of its unique properties.

8. Ice Cubes

• Ice cubes are really frozen water.

• Water is made up of two elements, hydrogen and oxygen and is essential for life.

• Water has three different states, liquid, solid and gas. The word water usually refers to water in its liquid state. The solid state of water is known as ice while the gas state of water is known as steam or water vapor.

9. Plane

• My plane is made of plastic.

• Plastics are materials that are not found naturally but are made from chemicals.

• They are strong and waterproof, and can be made into any shape or colour. Many plastics can be made transparent. They are not magnetic and do not conduct heat or electricity. Plastics are used to make all sorts of things such as plastic bags, plastic bottles and toys.

10. Drinking Cup

• We have a drinking cup at home that is made of stainless steel.

• Stainless steel is a type of metal alloy. The components of stainless steel are iron, chromium, carbon, nickel, molybdenum and small quantities of other metals. Stainless steel is a hard and strong substance. Stainless steel is not a good conductor of heat and electricity. Stainless steel possess high ductile strength. This means it can be easily shaped or bent or drawn in the form of wires. They are highly resistant to corrosion.

References

• http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/ks2bitesize/science/materials/material_properties/read1.shtml

• http: //www.historyforkids.org/learn/arts/limestone. html /

• www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/metals.html

• http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/arts/limestone.htm

• http://science.howstuffworks.com/environmental/life/botany/rubber-info1.htm

• http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/ti/Tin

• http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/metals/silver.html

• http://www.buzzle.com/articles/physical-properties-of-stainless-steel.html