Materials Definition and 987 Threads

A material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified based on their physical and chemical properties, or on their geological origin or biological function. Materials science is the study of materials and their applications.
Raw materials can be processed in different ways to influence their properties, by purification, shaping or the introduction of other materials. New materials can be produced from raw materials by synthesis.
In industry, materials are inputs to manufacturing processes to produce products or more complex materials.

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  1. G

    Thermal stress questiontopic strengths of materials

    1.The center rod CD of the assembly shown in the figure is heated from T1 = 30oC to T2 = 180oC using electrical resistance heating. The two end rods AB and EF are heated from T1 = 30oC to T2 = 50oC. At the lower temperature T1, the gap between C and the rigid bar is 0.7 mm. Rods AB and EF are...
  2. N

    (Need Verifications) Wear Rate for adhesive rubbing of 2 materials

    Dear all members, I just need anyone of you to verify my system and some equations I have worked out for my problem below. Please feel free to point out any flaws in my reasoning and formula applications. Problem Definition: Two flat blocks (different materials, Fiberglass and Rubber)...
  3. N

    (Need Verifications) Wear Rate for adhesive rubbing of 2 materials

    Dear all members, I just need anyone of you to verify my system and some equations I have worked out for my problem below. Please feel free to point out any flaws in my reasoning and formula applications. Problem Definition: Two flat blocks (different materials, Fiberglass and Rubber) rubbing...
  4. A

    Materials Science and Engineering

    Hi all, I am interested in pursuing a degree in materials engineering in order to become a materials scientist/engineer. However, I am a bit confused with the wording of some of the degrees various colleges are offering. Is there a difference between a degree in Materials Engineering and a...
  5. M

    Schools Materials Science grad school questions

    I am a rising junior physics major and math minor at a small liberal arts school. I'm interested in possibly pursuing materials science for grad school (hoping to complete a PhD). However, I haven't yet taken intro-level chemistry. Originally I was planning to complete the intro sequence...
  6. R

    What are advanced materials science and engineering

    What is mean by advanced materials science and engineering
  7. S

    If water is clear why does it make materials appear dark?

    So water is completely transparent, it doesn't look darker in a glass so why when you tip it on cloth for example the cloth looks darker?
  8. SpaceKidd_N7

    Magnetic component of light, natural materials vs metamaterials

    Why is it that the magnetic component of light interacts more with metamaterials than with naturally occurring materials? It would be nice to explain this in terms of inductance, permeability, and permittivity within SRR metamaterials. I'm currently an undergraduate participating in...
  9. R

    What Are the Requirements for Active Materials Used in EDLC Electrodes?

    Electric double layer capacitor is charge storage device which using the mechanism of forming electric double layer on the interface between electrolyte and electrode. What is the requirement for active materials that used for electrode, is it require high conductivity and good chemical...
  10. D

    Solidificating materials under magnetic field?

    Hi guys, I'm really interested in finding out information about materials that solidify from a semi-solid state (like tofu or silicon-like) to hard solids under magnetic field or stress. I don't know if there's a name for it but I would really appreciate if someone could hook me up with names...
  11. AGNuke

    Engineering Future prospects in Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Sciences

    Future prospects in "Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Sciences" I hail from India, and thus have given IIT-JEE. Based on its ranking, I might get enrolled for the 4 Year course "Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science" in one of the institutes. Now what I want to know what will...
  12. K

    Curie-Weiss law and paramagnetic materials

    Good day I am trying to find a list with various paramagnetic materials and their Curie transition temperatures. That is, the temperature for the phase transition from paramagnetic to ferromagnetic, in cooling the paramagnetic material. I am looking for a easily obtainable paramagnetic...
  13. L

    Adhesion(bonding etc.) of materials without frictional force?

    Hello. I am studying material physics. I heard in the class that every adhesion or bonding can occur only with frictional force. Today, I tried to find a proper reference for this statement but I could not. Is there any reference that every adhesion or bonding(esp. Injective...
  14. B

    Mechanics Of Materials Stress Problem

    Homework Statement Here is a link to a picture of the problem: http://imgur.com/5nOnpJE Click on the picture to make it bigger, and readable!I need to find the angle that the two rods will have the same stress. We are talking about normal stress here! Homework Equations \sigma = Force /...
  15. T

    Ionizing solids- effects and materials

    Greetings. I want to experiment with the effects of macroscopic ionized solids. But first, let's have a little 'thought experiment'! If I have say, a gram of elemental copper, surrounded by ultra-pure water and it's put into a device which is capable of filling all of the valence...
  16. B

    Reading materials (Freshman undergrad)

    Hello! I'm currently in the summer before my freshman year at a University and I was wondering what books would be "good" to read. I'm a physics major but I'm also interested in math. Let me expand, by "good" I mean some book (textbook, etc) that would expand my knowledge of physics beyond...
  17. C

    Programs Which degree for Materials Science?

    I'm currently a chemical engineering student and I have a huge interest in materials science, probably more so hard materials than soft materials (which is why I feel chemical engineering is a bad choice). Can I get into the field of materials science via a chemical engineering degree...
  18. L

    Reference materials to understand methods of solar-powered cooling

    I am working on a concentrated solar heater using a linear fresnel reflector. I want to learn how I can harness this heat to power a cooling system, preferably with minimal use of electricity. I am in India, so this has a huge ground for application. I was looking at ideas here, and while...
  19. K

    Wetness and why materials change shape

    Why is is that certain materials -- like plastic, metal (assuming it doesn't rust), glass -- retain their shape when they get wet, and some materials -- like paper -- don't return to their original shape even after they become dry again? My knowledge of chemistry is pretty limited, but my...
  20. H

    What makes materials seem colored?

    I don't know the reason of materials' color? Why one matter is blue and another is red? Which mechanism is responsible for their color; Absorption, Luminescence, Scattering, Reflection?
  21. J

    Introductory Physics Learning Materials

    I am currently reading some of that material but started to wonder because some of it seem basic enough to me though I don't have a real concrete background yet. I was wondering if it is A-level equivalent because it couldn't be college physics. Oh yea and err can't I post on other sections...
  22. M

    Programs Materials Science for a Grad. Degree

    Any advice on a chem major/math minor going into materials science grad degree? Most helpful curriculums? How deep should you take physics/math in undergrad? Job Outlooks/what kind of work expected? Is it really a safe jump for a chem major? Will it be easy to push away from chem and more...
  23. C

    Materials required for a large travel suitcase

    Homework Statement Hi, Please help me to identify the materials required for a large travel suitcase and the properties which are required for it too. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution I was thinking of nylon as one of the materials for a travel suitcase. Properties...
  24. C

    Calculating Critical Surface Edge Crack for Fatigue Life of Material

    Homework Statement Compute the crtitical surface edge crack if the fatigue life = 8000000 cycles and maximum tensile stress is 21000 psi. m=3.5 and A= 0.00000000004 in ksi and in. units. Initial crack edge is 0.120 in. Y= 1.15 Homework Equations The equation is given in the attached file...
  25. Lebombo

    Math Presentation Materials (which include equation editor features)

    Hi, I wanted to make a powerpoint-like presentation for myself, simply for self study. I figured I'd experiment with some of the animation features to see whether it would have a positive impact on my rate of study. However, I don't have Microsoft office (thus powerpoint) on my current...
  26. M

    What materials can be used as a superconductor?

    Hey guys! I'm doing a science project on high temperature superconductors and i was just wondering, what kind of metals that can be bought will become a superconductor when put in liquid nitrogen. Liquid nitrogen of course is 63k so anything below 63 kelvins will not work, however if a metal...
  27. B

    Materials Science and Theoretical Physics

    Hello everyone, I am a student in Engineering Physics and I'm currently at the point where we have to choose in which domain we want to specialize. The undergraduate program in Engineering Physics at my university is leaning much more towards the physics part than the engineering part, so we...
  28. throneoo

    Light absorbance & color of materials

    it's known that for the visible part of EM wave(electromagnetic wave) , black materials absorb more visible light than white materials do . a friend of mine asked me if in general , black materials absorb more EM radiation(whose frequencies do not lie within the visible range) than white...
  29. K

    Tensor Equations for Anisotropic Materials

    Hi, I am in the middle of revising for and a classical electromagnetism exam, and I've hit a wall when it comes to tensor equations. I know that for anisotropic materials: J=σE and E=ρJ And that in component form the first equation can be written as J_i = σ_{ij} E_j What I'm wondering...
  30. K

    Tensor Equations for Anisotropic Materials

    Hi, I am in the middle of revising for and a classical electromagnetism exam, and I've hit a wall when it comes to tensor equations. I know that for anisotropic materials: J=σE and E=ρJ And that in component form the first equation can be written as J_i = σ_{ij} E_j My question is, does...
  31. C

    Brittle crack growth in normally ductile materials

    Hey guys, I'm new here so please be easy on me if I break any "unwritten" rules. I'm doing a design study on brittle crack growth in ductile materials. As I understand it, when a macroscopic crack is found in a load bearing plate, holes can be drilled at each end to reduce the internal...
  32. F

    Materials engineering help required please

    A tie rod of max strength and minimum mass performance index Max strength - τ= 2T/πr³ Min mass- P=t^(2/3)/p I have been asked to explain how the performance index is affected by (i) safety factor (ii) changing the objective to minimum cost Any help would be greatly appreciated...
  33. A

    Magnetic permeability of air compared to ferrous materials

    The answer I'm hoping to achieve from this discussion is how high a field applied to air has to be in order for it's magnetic flux to match the magnetic flux of a ferrous material. As you may know, ferrous materials are used as magnetic cores, but once the applied field reaches a certain...
  34. M

    What is the Ratio of Internal to External Diameter for Equal Strength in Shafts?

    A mild steel solid shaft is to be replaced by a stainless steel hollow shaft of the same outside diameter. Calculate the ratio of internal diameter to external diameter of the hollow shaft for equal strength. Also find the percentage saving in weight if density of mild steel is the same as...
  35. A

    Essay on what materials are best at shielding electromagnetic pulses

    So I am in the IB, and I have to do an extended essay. I'm doing it in physics, and I'm looking at the topic "What materials offer the best shielding against an electromagnetic pulse (EMP)?" I was thinking of measuring the electromagnetic pulse using an oscilloscope. The reason I want to...
  36. W

    Materials for civil engineering please

    I have a question I really would be thankful if I had some help For the mix design in the fresh concrete.. I've got the compressive strength 6525 psi, I didn't find it in any table to find the w/c (water-cement ratio), what should I do and if there is a formula for it what it is?
  37. 8

    Schools Materials Science vs. Physics for Grad School

    Materials Science vs. Physics for Grad School Hello, I'm a new poster here, but have gotten a lot of great stuff out of this forum in the past... Some questions/thoughts on a Mechanical Engineer pursuing a graduate degree in Materials Science (or Physics...) I'm interested in optics...
  38. SredniVashtar

    Is there a Stuff -> Materials it's made of reference around?

    Is there a "Stuff -> Materials it's made of" reference around? This is somewhat a borderline question, but I guess the Materials subsection of the forum is the best place for it. Yesterday I broached a bottle of wine, one with bubbles (that's the most elaborate description my wine expertise...
  39. S

    Lagrangian aproach.Learning materials.

    Hello.I recently discovered the Lagrangian approach on classical mechanics ptovlems, such as a spring pendullum, or even on particle physics problems, and i think it s a really smart way of getting results. I'd like to approach this method deeper and so my questions are the following: 1.What...
  40. M

    3 point Flexure/bending test for ductile materials question

    I was looking up info on this topic and came up with this article (http://eng.sut.ac.th/metal/images/stories/pdf/Lab_7Bend_Eng.pdf)... what I don't get is why it says that bending test for ductile materials isn't good. "The stress is essentially zero at the neutral axis N-N. Stresses in...
  41. C

    How to measure breaking points of different materials?

    Hello, I'm working on a design for an architectural structure, and I am choosing the material for the design. Are there any resources that will tell me the breaking point for like "1-inch" of material X. I need something that can support the weight of a car. Thanks! Carpetfizz
  42. R

    Accelerating a wheel of two different materials.

    We all remember the experiment where two wheels, one made of metal that is hollow and one of solid wood, of equal mass, circumference, and width are raced down a ramp, how the wooden wheel accelerates faster. If you cut the wheels in half and used one part of each to create another wheel, half...
  43. S

    Conduction between two materials

    When I have a metal object at 0 degrees and a plastic object at 0 degrees, the metal feels colder as heat is conducted away at a faster rate. The reason for that would be that the metal is a better conductor of heat so when my hand touches it, it can start vibrating more quickly than the...
  44. A

    Understanding Material Breakage: Fractures, Fatigue, and More

    Hi and thank you in advance. I want to understand how do fractures/breaks/fatigues occur in general. I remember a proverb saying that when a farmer breaks a rock after 100 hits using his axe, it is not the 100th hit that breaks the rock, but it is all of the 100 hits. How material...
  45. C

    Which materials would survive at near absolute zero, intact?

    What would happen to things on Earth if transported to the moon? For instance, say that a house, with furniture and fixtures in place, were dropped gently onto the moon's surface? How about food - meat, vegetables, fruit? Would things crack? Or would they survive the experience so that if...
  46. C

    Materials Science vs. Physics How do they complement each other?

    Which field of science is at the forefront in the design of novel materials (biomaterials, semiconductors, energetic materials, etc.) and nanotechnology? I would imagine that physicists and materials scientists work together to achieve the above goals, but can someone describe to me the role...
  47. E

    Calculate Elastic Modulus of Iron Single Crystal: E=207.9GPa

    Homework Statement Based on the data in Table 1.3 of Hertzberg, estimate the elastic modulus of an iron single crystal along the [2 1 -3] direction. Express your answer in GPa in the form yyy.y S11=0.80, S12=-0.28, S44=0.86 (10^-11Pa^-1) Homework Equations...
  48. schrodingerscat11

    Topic in Theoretical Materials Science

    Greetings! I just finished my bachelor's degree in physics. I am now applying for a master's degree in physics. My bachelor's thesis was an experimental study about aerosol. I am planning to shift to theoretical physics. However, I want my topic to be related to materials science...
  49. C

    Question on strength of materials asked at a phd interview

    Consider a cantilever beam of rectangular cross section made up of two materials steel and aluminium. an axial force is applied at one end. the question asked was which material should make up the upper part and which should make up the lower part of the beam? Could someone please help me in...
  50. S

    Development of new nanocrystal materials

    I was reading about the development of new nanocrystal materials which could allow heat to be manipulated in the same way we now do with light: http://web.mit.edu/newsoffice/2013/how-to-treat-heat-like-light-0111.html What shall we call this approach? Thermoptics? I'm not sure from...
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