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PracticalStudent.com
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Metalwork - Materials
In this section we will be looking at what makes up materials, how they are classed, the different types, and how they affect us in our own lives. |
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PracticalStudent.com
|
|
Metalwork - Materials
In this section we will be looking at what makes up materials, how they are classed, the different types, and how they affect us in our own lives. |
|
The study of Materials has been a hobby of man for a long
long time...pretty much since the start of the Stone Age. This
period in our history was followed by the Bronze age, the Iron
Age, then the Industrial Age, and eventually we got to where
we are today.
In the 1960's the major break through was made with the
discovery that non-metallic materials could conduct
electricity. Not only that but one material in particular...
Silicon... was found to be able to conduct electricity in
ways that metals couldn't. "Amazing" I hear you
say ! Well it was, this discovery led to the improvement in
computers that ends with you sitting here reading this.
Since then the study of Materials has become a science all
of its own.
Just look around where you are sitting or at the kitchen
to the right. How many different materials do you see ? I
presume you can see the common ones like metals, plastics,
and woods. There are also other types of materials such as
the glass in your screen, or the brick wall you may be
hitting your head against come exam time !
When, and if, you read through all of this section you
will have a much better idea of why manufacturers choose
different materials for different products. Take, for
example, kettles, why were they always made from metal, but
now are usually made from plastic?