A material is a physical substance used to make things.

Metals, plastics, ceramics, glass and fibres are some of the main categories for materials.

If we look around, everything we see is made from a material, sometimes more than one ....

For example: The clothes you are wearing are

made from fibres. The chair you are sitting on is made

from plastic. The windows in the school are made

from glass.

Can you see any other examples around you?

A property of a material is a description of the characteristics which it has. They are adjectives which tell us about the material.

Materials have different properties and characteristics depending on what they are used for.

Some materials are hard, others are soft. Some are strong, others are weak.

Here is a list of the properties which describe different materials:

Shiny – It reflects light

Strong – It won’t break easily

Flexible – It can be bent easily without breaking

Light - It doesn’t weigh much

Heavy – It weighs a lot

Coloured – Has colour

Magnetic – It’s attracted to magnets

Bendy - Flexible

Hard – Something which can’t be bent easily

Brittle – It’s hard but will break easily

Malleable – It can be shaped easily

Magnetic – It’s attracted to magnets

Bendy – Flexible

Transparent – Something you can see through

Translucent – Something you can partially see through

Opaque – Something you can not see through

Conductor – It allows heat or electricity to pass through

Insulator – It doesn’t allow heat or electricity to pass through.

Which of the previous words could you use to describe:

A) a pencil... Hard, light, opaque

B) A window Transparent or translucent, hard, brittle

C) A piece of paper... Light, opaque, malleable

D) A fork... Shiny, hard, magnetic, opaque, conductor

Materials can be categorised into groups. One of the main groups is...

Shiny

StrongGood conductors of heat and electricity

Some are magneticUsually

opaque E,g aluminium, copper, iron, lead...

Q) Why is copper suitable for electrical wiring? What properties must it have?

- Good conductor of electricity

- It is strong.

Why are saucepans made from metal? Which properties make it suitable for the use?

- It is a good conductor or heat.

- It is It does not melt with high temperatures.

- It is strong