Material Science

What Material Science covers

Material Science is examined in Unit AS 5, Material Science — examined, Double Award only. It covers material properties and selection, stress, strain and the Young modulus, stress–strain graphs, creep and fatigue, density, hardness and conductivity testing, metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and composites, atomic and microscopic structure of materials, alloys, annealing and biomaterials, smart materials and Nanomaterials and semiconductors.

The 9 subtopics

Each one has its own page. CCEA AS Life and Health Sciences students sit this topic in the first year.

• Material properties and selectionChemical resistance, electrical and thermal conductivity, the coefficient of friction with a worked example, ductility, malleability and elasticity, cost, environmental factors, regulation, demand and choosing car panels.Open →
• Stress, strain and the Young modulusStress, strain and the Young modulus with worked calculations for wires, rods and bone, and measuring the Young modulus of a metal wire safely and accurately.Open →
• Stress–strain graphs, creep and fatigueYield and tensile strength, plasticity, stress–strain graphs for ductile, brittle and rubber materials, the limit of proportionality, the area under the graph, creep, fatigue and hip replacements.Open →
• Density, hardness and conductivity testingDensity with worked calculations and unit conversions, measuring the density of irregular samples, the Vickers hardness test with a worked value, and electrical conductivity and resistivity.Open →
• Metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and compositesThe five categories of materials and their properties, borosilicate glass, alumina hip balls, polypropylene syringes, PVC blood bags, fibre composites, reinforced concrete, bone and fracture casts.Open →
• Atomic and microscopic structure of materialsThe Bohr model and silicon-28, metallic structure and properties, grains and grain size, crystalline and amorphous materials, polymer structure, thermoplastics and thermosets, and polarising microscopes.Open →
• Alloys, annealing and biomaterialsAlloys including steel, stainless steel, invar, bronze, brass and nichrome, annealing and grain structure, and biotolerant, bioinert and bioactive materials in implants.Open →
• Smart materialsShape-memory alloys in stents and staples, piezoelectric materials, quantum tunnelling composites, thermochromic, photochromic and electroluminescent materials, and choosing a smart material.Open →
• Nanomaterials and semiconductorsGraphite, graphene and carbon nanotubes, nanotube uses in drug delivery, cancer treatment, biosensors and tissue scaffolds, the risks of nanotechnology, and n-type, p-type and p-n junction silicon.Open →

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

Take Material Science further

The same content, four other ways.

Commonly confused

Pairs that lose marks when they are blurred together.

• Stress vs Strain

  Stress: the force acting on each unit of cross-sectional area. Strain: the extension divided by the original length.

• Ductility vs Malleability

  Ductility: the ability to be drawn out into a wire under tension without breaking. Malleability: the ability to be hammered or rolled into sheets under compression without cracking.

• Creep vs Fatigue

  Creep: slow permanent deformation under a constant load held over a long time. Fatigue: failure caused by many repeated cycles of loading below the breaking stress.

Questions from this topic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

1. 1

   What is meant by the chemical resistance of a material?

   Model answer

   Chemical resistance is the ability of a material to withstand attack by chemicals without its properties changing. A chemically resistant material does not corrode, dissolve or swell in use.

2. 2

   Why is chemical resistance the deciding property for the lining of a tank that stores sulfuric acid?

   Model answer

   The lining must not be attacked or weakened by the acid over many years. A resistant lining such as glass or PTFE prevents leaks and contamination of the product.

3. 3

   Define electrical conductivity.

   Model answer

   Electrical conductivity is a measure of how easily a material allows an electric current to flow through it. A good conductor has many free charge carriers.

4. 4

   Define thermal conductivity.

   Model answer

   Thermal conductivity is a measure of how readily a material transfers heat through itself. The unit is W m⁻¹ K⁻¹.

5. 5

   Why do cooking pans often have a copper or aluminium base but a polymer handle?

   Model answer

   The metal base has a high thermal conductivity, so heat passes quickly and evenly to the food. The polymer handle has a low thermal conductivity and stays cool enough to hold.

6. 6

   What is the coefficient of friction between two surfaces?

   Model answer

   The coefficient of friction is the frictional force divided by the normal reaction force between two surfaces. The coefficient has no units.

What is inside Levo

Six ways to work the same material.

Material Science revision questions

Is Material Science examined at AS in CCEA Life and Health Sciences?

Yes. It sits in AS 5, which you take in the first year, so it is on the AS paper as well as counting towards the full A level.

What does Material Science cover in CCEA AS-Level Life and Health Sciences?

9 subtopics: material properties and selection, stress, strain and the young modulus, stress–strain graphs, creep and fatigue, density, hardness and conductivity testing, metals, ceramics, glasses, polymers and composites, atomic and microscopic structure of materials, alloys, annealing and biomaterials, smart materials and nanomaterials and semiconductors. Each one has its own page with questions and model answers.

How is Material Science organised?

By the CCEA 0008 specification, subtopic by subtopic, so it matches the order you are taught it in.