MC test: Introduction to materials science

Multiple choice test on A.1 Introduction to materials science

Use the following 'quiz' to test your knowledge and understanding of this sub-topic. As this relates to a sub-topic on the options you may need access to the IB data booklet.

If you get an answer wrong, read through the explanation carefully to learn from your mistakes.

Which are composites?

I. reinforced concrete

II. steel

III. fibre glass

Steel is an alloy. The individual components in composites remain separate and distinct within the finished structure.

 

Which substance has the highest melting point?

The increasing order of their melting points is phosphorus pentoxide (which actually sublimes) < sodium chloride < iron < graphite. This is related to the order of their bonding and structure: simple covalent < ionic < metallic < giant covalent.

 

Which is the correct order for early civilizations (earliest first)?

The 'Ages' are based on the materials used for tools. Stone came first, as no metallurgy was involved. Bronze is an alloy of copper and tin and can be made by simply heating the two metals together. Iron is more reactive than both copper and tin and must be obtained by  the chemical reduction of its ores.

 

Which best defines elasticity?

The important point about elasticity is that the material returns to its original shape when the distorting force is removed.

 

Which is the most brittle at room temperature?

Sulfur is a simple covalent substance and is very brittle as once the bonds holding the S8 molecules together in the lattice are are broken they cannot easily be reformed.

 

Which is the least permeable?

Sand, gravel and paper are all porous and allow water to pass through them.

 

Which three substances are located at the apices of the van Arkel-Ketelaar diagram?

Cs is the most electropositive element, fluorine is the most electronegative element and the compound with the greatest difference in electronegativities is CsF.

 

Which three types of bonding form the corners of a simple bonding triangle?

The three extreme types of bonding to which the properties of substance are related are metallic, covalent and ionic.

 

Which substance is the poorest conductor of electricity?

Lithium and mercury are both metals and are good conductors and silicon is a semi-conductor. Solid sodium chloride has no delocalized electrons and its ions are held in a rigid lattice so are not free to move.

 

Which two phases are present in all composites?

Composites consist of  reinforcing phase embedded in a matrix phase.

 

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