Polymers & Composites
A long molecule made up of a chain of smaller molecules is called a
What is a Polymer
What is an alloy?
What is a mixture made of 2 or more elements that has the properties of metal. There is at least 1 metal in every alloy.
Silicon dioxide & calcium carbonate combine to make what?
What is Glass
Who helped to discover radioactivity?
Who is Madame Marie Curie.
What is a monomer?
A monomer is the smaller molecule from which polymers are built
Fiberglass is an example of....
What is a composite.
How are alloys made?
By melting metals and mixing them together in carefully measured amounts.
What is the fact that ceramic is brittle.
What are the 3 types of nuclear radiation and which has the most penetrating power?
The 3 types of nuclear radiation are alpha, beta, and gamma. Gamma radiation will have the greatest penetrating power.
A composite combines 2 or more substances in a new material that has different properties.
What types of polymers are there and give an example of each type
What is a natural polymer like cellulose and a synthetic polymer like plastic.
Brass is an alloy of copper & zinc. Brass can be used in musical instruments, jewelry, faucets etc.
Glass is clear or transparent compared to ceramics which gives it the advantage of being able to see through it and better for use in windows or storage containers.
What are Beta particles blocked by?
What is aluminum sheets.
What element forms the backbone of most polymers?
What is Carbon.
Why are composites more useful than the materials which were used to create them (their parent materials)?
Because they maximize their parent materials advantages while minimizing their disadvantages.
What is the main ingredient of the alloy Steel and what element can be added to Steel to make it more ductile and malleable?
Iron is the main ingredient in making steel which makes it stronger, hard, and resistant to corrosion. Carbon can be added to make high-carbon steel that is used to make tools and knives.
What are optical fibers made of and how are they used?
Optical fibers are threadlike pieces of glass and it is used widely in communication as it is lightweight, and does not corrode.
How is gamma radiation used as therapy in medicine?
Gamma radiation will penetrate through body tissues and kill cancer cells.
Where was Kevlar discovered and by who?
Kevlar was discovered by accident in Delaware by Stephanie Kwolek.
Why can some advantages of synthetic polymers turn out to be disadvantages?
Synthetic polymers like plastics are cheaper to make, which means we produce a lot more of it. They are also strong, unreactive, and last a long time which makes them durable but this is bad because they do not break down easily or take thousands of years to do so, leading to pollution & environmental damage.
10K gold is less pure because it has a lower percentage of gold compared to 14K gold which is more pure and has a greater percentage of gold. Having less gold would mean 10K gold has other elements like copper and zinc which will make it more durable than 14K gold.
What is the reason for firing clay to temperatures above 1000 0Celcius?
To force the water in clay to evaporate and cause the clay particles to stick together and form a hard ceramic which can absorb and hold water. We can also cover ceramic with a thin layer of silicon dioxide to create a waterproof coating called a glaze.
If Nitrogen has a mass of 32 g, what will be its mass after 1 half life?
The mass of Nitrogen after 1 half life will be 16.
If Uranium 238 goes through alpha decay what is the name of the element that will be created?
Alpha decay will decrease the atomic number by 2 so the new element will have an atomic # of 90 = Thorium