What are some important properties of metals?      

    Density is defined as a material’s mass divided by its volume. Most metals have relatively high densities, especially compared to polymers.       

    Fracture toughness can be described as a material’s ability to avoid fracture, especially when a flaw is introduced. Metals can generally contain nicks and   dents without weakening very much, and are impact resistant. A football player counts on this when he trusts that his facemask won’t shatter.      

     Plastic deformation is the ability of bend or deform before breaking. As engineers, we usually design materials so that they don’t deform under normal conditions. You don’t want your car to lean to the east after a strong west wind.However, sometimes we can take advantage of plastic deformation. The crumple zones in a car absorb energy by undergoing plastic deformation before they break.     

    The atomic bonding of metals also affects their properties. In metals, the outer valence electrons are shared among all atoms, and are free to travel everywhere. Since electrons conduct heat and electricity, metals make good cooking pans and electrical wires.  

    It is impossible to see through metals, since these valence electrons absorb any photons of light which reach the metal. No photons pass through.      

    Alloys are compounds consisting of more than one metal. Adding other metals can affect the density, strength, fracture toughness, plastic deformation, electrical conductivity and environmental degradation. 

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Date: 2023-04-10     hits: 400    Return