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Year 9

Materials and composites: including metals, ceramics and polymers

I can classify materials as metals, ceramics, or polymers, and describe and predict the properties of some composite materials.

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New
New
Year 9

Materials and composites: including metals, ceramics and polymers

I can classify materials as metals, ceramics, or polymers, and describe and predict the properties of some composite materials.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Metals are good thermal and electrical conductors, they are strong, shiny, malleable and ductile.
  2. Ceramics are made from soft substances, becoming hard and brittle when heated.
  3. Plastics are made from polymers and there are many types of plastics with very different properties.
  4. An alloy is a mixture of elements including at least one metal.
  5. Composites combine materials to create a new material with improved properties.

Common misconception

The word material can be challenging, it has a different meaning in everyday life. Understanding that an alloy is a mixture and not a compound is hard because the elements are difficult to separate.

Provide lots of different examples of materials and use the word correctly within the scientific contexts. An alloy is the exception to the rule and is separated by thermal or chemical processes.

Keywords

  • Metal - A material that is shiny, hard and a good thermal and electrical conductor.

  • Ceramic - A material which is hard and brittle.

  • Polymer - Long chained molecules formed by joining together monomers.

  • Alloy - A mixture of two or more elements where at least one element is a metal.

  • Composite - A material made from two or more different types of materials. When combined they create a new material with improved properties.

Ask the pupils to test the properties of different types of materials to see if they are hard or soft, brittle or flexible, malleable and ductile, electrical or thermal conductors or insulators.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Everything around us is made of . These are the substances that objects are made from. They can be natural (e.g. wood and stone) or human–made (e.g. plastic and steel).
Correct Answer: materials, material
Q2.
What do you call the features of a material that can be observed or measured?
abilities
behaviours
characteristics
conditions
Correct answer: properties
Q3.
Match the following key words to their definition.
Correct Answer:application,a way in which something can be used for a particular purpose

a way in which something can be used for a particular purpose

Correct Answer:classification,the process of sorting objects into groups

the process of sorting objects into groups

Correct Answer:prediction,a testable statement about a possible outcome of an experiment

a testable statement about a possible outcome of an experiment

Q4.
Which of the following materials can be transparent?
card
Correct answer: glass
Correct answer: plastic
wood
Q5.
Match the following key words or phrases to their definition.
Correct Answer:brittle,the ability to break or shatter easily when a force is applied

the ability to break or shatter easily when a force is applied

Correct Answer:electrical conductor,a substance that allows a flow of charge (electrical current)

a substance that allows a flow of charge (electrical current)

Correct Answer:malleable,the ability to be formed into a shape

the ability to be formed into a shape

Correct Answer:thermal conductor,a substance that transfers energy by conduction

a substance that transfers energy by conduction

Correct Answer:transparent,the ability to let light pass through so you can see clearly through

the ability to let light pass through so you can see clearly through

Q6.
Scientific methods include observation, measurement, and manipulations (e.g. heating) to determine material properties. All these actions can be part of a scientific ...
Correct answer: investigation.
theory.
model.
equation.

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Clay and sand both consist of silicates with different particle sizes. Ceramics made from clay are opaque, while glass made from sand is typically transparent. How do these different properties occur?
Correct answer: atoms in glass are arranged differently to those in clay ceramics
ceramics and glass are made at very different temperatures
ceramics are made from soft clay; glass is made from hard sand
clay particles are larger than sand particles
Q2.
If you couldn't see them, how would you distinguish between a metal, a ceramic, and a plastic vase of the same shape and size?
Correct answer: By feeling their texture.
By tasting their surface.
Correct answer: By noting the sound they make when tapped.
Correct answer: By measuring how quickly they heat up.
By smelling them.
Q3.
Polymers are monomers joined together into long chains, sometimes with chemical connections between the chains. Poly(ester) and poly(propene) are polymers and specific examples of .
Correct Answer: plastics, plastic, condensation polymers, a condensation polymer
Q4.
Match the following key words to their definition.
Correct Answer:alloy,a mixture of two or more elements; at least one element is a metal

a mixture of two or more elements; at least one element is a metal

Correct Answer:ceramic, a hard, brittle, heat-resistant material, often containing silica

a hard, brittle, heat-resistant material, often containing silica

Correct Answer:composite,made from at least two types of materials with improved properties

made from at least two types of materials with improved properties

Correct Answer:metal,a shiny, hard material that is a good thermal and electrical conductor

a shiny, hard material that is a good thermal and electrical conductor

Correct Answer:polymer,long chained molecules formed by joining together monomers

long chained molecules formed by joining together monomers

Q5.
Alloys and composites both have new properties compared to their components and can't be separated by simple methods. Steel is an example of an , as it is a mixture of iron and other elements.
Correct Answer: alloy, an alloy
Q6.
A practical method for scientists to determine the physical properties of materials is by conducting tests. How can you distinguish between plain and reinforced concrete if the pieces look similar?
By stretching the concrete to see if it stretches significantly.
Correct answer: By applying pressure to see if the concrete squashes or deforms easily.
By checking if the concrete cracks under stress.
By observing if the concrete has a uniform texture.