What is Material: Definition and 1000 Discussions

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. S

    Is "Roswell metal" at all a possible material?

    In stories regarding the "Roswell UFO crash", there are claims of alien metal foil that (depending on who you ask! :) ) you couldn't cut with a knife, couldn't tear it by hand, and which you could crumple up, and when released from your hand, it would unfold again to a nice, smooth sheet. Now...
  2. O

    Dielectric effects confined inside the dielectric material?

    Hi all, I am wondering how is it possible that the polarization effects of a dielectric material remain confined inside the material itself. That is: for a LIH dielectric, the equations state that the electric field inside the material is reduced by \epsilon_r. But outside the material, no...
  3. E

    Need help picking material for sole for a running shoe

    Hello. I am thinking about creating an extremely lightweight running shoe to simulate barefoot running, and I need help on picking a material for the sole. 1. It has to be cheap 2.It has to be strong 3.No Metal 4.It has to be extremely bendable(able to role up into a tube)
  4. P

    Looking for waves to detect a specific material exclusively

    hello! is there a material or substance that can be detected using some kind of waves (magnetic, electromagnetic, ultrasound, infrared, whatever, etc) with extreme specificity (ie. no other materials or substances are to be mistaken) with extreme sensitivity (ie. a nanometer of that material or...
  5. Tadhgrrr

    Thermal expansion: the amount of material expanding is "irrelevant"?

    Hello everyone! First time asking a question here, go easy on me! I am a first year Mech-Eng student in Ireland, and I need some guidance from one of the amazing brains here at physicsforums. I am told by my thermofluids lecturer that in thermal expansion, the amount of material expanding is...
  6. D

    Is there a see-through material with low outgassing rate?

    I am helping one of my old physics professor and his Phd design a low-atmospheric vacuum chamber and we're looking at different materials to prevent outgassing. However the tank is almost 1m long and all the equipment inside must be taken out and checked after each test. It would be nice if we...
  7. N

    Brittleness and material behaviours

    hi all, I'm creating a physics based game. My design works by pre-fracturing objects into distinctive chunks at authortime, to prevent extensive processing later (some realtime fracturing will also occur, but that's unrelated). So i have lots of walls that are made up of lots of little chunks...
  8. B

    How to calculate value (kg) material?

    Hi I have a the problems! i need this materials for dielectric : 1.pvc (Kg) 2.dop (Kg) 3.carbonate (kG) so, i Specify this propertise for dielectric : 1.T(Tensile strength) =16 2.E(elongation) =300 3.Density=1.45 4. H(Hardness)=78 now, I need to...
  9. M

    Help with ANSOFT MAXWELL 3D Magnetic material

    Hi I'm having an issue ANSOFT MAXWELL : Assigning a permanent magnetic material to a body (for ex NDFE35) provides me a means of setting the magnetization direction (through x,y,z unit vectors ) inside the material settings so if i have multiple PM bodies rotated :- 1- do i need to create a...
  10. S

    Relation between refractive index and density of material

    Hello all, I had clarified that refractive index of material such as(aluminium, copper, lead, teflon)changes with the temperature. the refractive index change even for this temperature range: -196 to 25°C ? I need to know like any law which gives a direct relationship between 1)the density and...
  11. E

    Material Model: initial conditions of equation?

    Hello guys, actually I'am working on a model to describe the creep-behaviour of a concrete specimen. This model is based on a 'generalized maxwell-chain'. I attached a picture, where you can see it: The acting load is the tension \sigma, while E_0 and E_1 are the stiffnesses of the...
  12. Blister15

    Is it possible to compress speed into a material?

    I'm not sure if this would be the correct place to ask this, but I am planning on creating something that could very well increase some physical attributes of the human body. to do so I have to succeed in what I believe is the most complicated step in my experiment. so I need to know, is it...
  13. INFINITE952

    What material has the lowest melting point?

    What material has the lowest melting point? I'm doing an interesting research project of finding an invisible ink. My purpose is to find a material on which I can write on and has a very low melting point. I want to write on this kind of material by using my invisible ink. From my research...
  14. R

    Relative permittivity of a semiconductor material

    http://physics.stackexchange.com/questions/156708/can-the-relative-permittivity-of-a-semiconductor-material-be-lower-than-1 To measure the relative permittivity of a p-type semiconductor material (a metal phthalocyanine ) , a M-S-M structure was made by thermal evaporation method. The...
  15. T

    Calculating Steel Rod Life with 8000 psi at 1000 °F

    1. Problem statement A steel rod supporting a stress of 8000 psi at 1000 ◦ F is not to exceed 5 % creep strain. Knowing that the steady-state creep rate can be expressed by an equation of the form ##\dot{\epsilon}_{s}^{C}=B|\sigma |^{n} exp \left(\frac{-Q}{kT} \right)## ε⋅, strain rate B...
  16. W

    Introductory Material for Relativistic Boltzmann Equation

    I’m searching for an introduction to relativistic Boltzmann equation. (Sorry, I know this is a question about learning material) I’ve read an excellent script from David Tong about non-relativistic kinetic theory (from Liouville to Navier-Stokes using Boltzmann equation (see link below)...
  17. M

    Retaking a course for a better grasp on the material

    I looked somewhat extensively through the threads to see if this question has been asked before, so if it has, I offer my sincerest apologies. I'm a second year community college student and only recently decided for certain that I will be majoring in a mathematical subject (Physics or Econ)...
  18. R

    What is a conductive material which contains extra "holes"?

    There are conductors with loosely bound electrons such as Cu, what is a conductor that contains loosely bound "holes"?
  19. E

    Do Material Properties Follow a Linear Response Pattern?

    Hi all, I have a general question about material properties. We know that the material property value depends on the input level. For example, the permittivity in a dielectric material changes depending on the applied electric field. That being said, when we apply an alternating electric...
  20. G

    Torque for drill to shear through material

    I'm attempting to figure out the torque required for a twist drill bit to shear through a material. I have no idea if this is even remotely correct but this is the process I used. Ultimate shear strength = Force/Area Therefore Force = USS x Area The USS of the material = 360 N/mm^2 I...
  21. W

    Strongest compressive strength material

    Hi guys, Would like to know what's the highest compressive strength ever measured in any material, and what material that might be. Specifically wondering if there are any materials with gigapascal-level compressive strengths. Thanks! Rgds, Wally
  22. J

    What is the best durable material for making a blimp robot?

    I'm trying to make a blimp robot, I want to get into the drone-building hobby but right now a quadrotor is too expensive, plus I want to be a bit more original. I need something that I can make the balloon out of that won't leak (so I don't have to refill it often) and reasonably durable...
  23. R

    Material of Construction for hot brine (NaCl) solution

    What's a suitable Material of construction for equipment handling hot brine (NaCl) solutions? Temperature is max approx. 100 C. I'm conflicted if or not SS316 works? I looked up an old handbook and it reported a corrosion rate of 0.2 mm/year (@80 C) which seems not too bad to me. But I've...
  24. S

    Slab of material in magnetic field. Determine magnetic field

    Homework Statement A very large slab of material of thickness d lies perpendicularly to a uniform magnetic field \vec H_0 = \vec a_zH_0, where \vec a_z is the unit vector in the z-direction. Determine the magnetic field intensity (ignoring edge effect) in the slab: a) if the slab material...
  25. S

    Reflection maximum of material

    Homework Statement A coating of n1 = 1.33 material is to be added to n2 = 1.50 glass, in order to make it "irridescent." a) What is the thinnest layer of material which will have a reflection maximum for normal-incidence light at BOTH 400 and 600 nm (vacuum) wavelength? b) This thickness will...
  26. G

    Molecules With Radio Emission Under Current

    I am working on a project, however I am having trouble finding the right material for it to work. I am looking for a nano-material or any molecule that will emit a radio frequency when subjected to a voltage or a current at around 37 degrees Celsius. I would really appreciate it if someone could...
  27. Z

    Material with specific elec. conductivity

    Dear Friends, I am working on a project in which we need to shield an electrical field with a heavy 1 MHz component, at the same time, sparing the magnetic field as much as we can. With our limited knowledge, we came to the conclusion that a material with 10 kOhm conductivity would do this...
  28. P

    Need trustworthy, informative reading material

    I need some informative books for a beginner. However, I find most beginner textbooks too simple, vague and incomprehensive. I find it annoying that many texts are extremely vocabulary based, and fail to inform the reader of HOW particular physics mechanisms work. Instead, these texts vaguely...
  29. L

    Looking for an unusual material

    Dear all, I'm a university student in charge of developing a biochemical device (reactor) for the depuration of leather factory wastewaters, this is an european project leaded by Ambiental Engineering University of Florence. Part of this device should be colonized with fungi in order to purify...
  30. G

    A sphere of linear dielectric material surrounded by another dieletric material

    Homework Statement A sphere of linear dielectric material with permittivity ##\epsilon_1## and radius ##a## is surrounded by an infinite region of linear permittivity ##\epsilon_2##. In the spherical region, there is free charge embedded given by ##\rho_{free}=\beta r^2##, ##0<r<a##, where...
  31. R

    What material I should use for the "vacuum"?

    I put helium in a balloon (with a maximum pressure of 1.5-1.7 atm), but I do not want changes in the volume, so I have to use a rigid material (non-elastic). To make sure that there is only helium in the balloon, I have to create a "strong vacuum." My fear 'that, in the material can break or...
  32. C

    Applications of hypothetical new material

    Lay person here... If there was a new metal that was discovered with extremely high electrical conductivity and corrosion resistance but no thermal conductivity, what do you image its industrial uses might be?
  33. A

    Which is Less Material Given Deflection due to Force?

    Homework Statement You are considering two different designs for a walking cane. Both designs use hollow metal tubes, but design A has a circular cross section (outer diameter h) whereas design B has a square cross section (outer width and length h). Both canes are designed to withstand an end...
  34. B

    Magnetic flux density calculation for high permeability material

    Hi to all of you, As the Biot-Savart-Law is based on experimentations in air, i like to know how to calculate the magnetic flux density in material with much greater permeability, where the circular like shape of the field distribution troughout the vicinity does not apply. Does anyone has a...
  35. T

    Is glass the only material you can break with sound?

    Would it be possible to use a 3D printer to print plastic (PLA for example) that could be smashed or warped by sound under 110dBs? I'm a biologist, trying to recreate what happens to hair cells in the inner ear when you damage them. Thanks.
  36. J

    Negative Poisson's Ratio in Rotated Orthotropic Material

    Hi all, I'm looking for physical and mathematical explanations for a phenomenon I've noticed when working with rotated material properties relative to an XYZ coordinate system. For certain rotations (~40 to ~50 degrees) about a single axis the S12, S13, or S23 components of the compliance...
  37. P

    How Do You Find Pressure Distribution In A Porous Material?

    Homework Statement Using Darcy’s law, plus another appropriate relationship, derive a single equation for the pressure distribution in a porous material. Your equation should be stated in terms of generic operators (i.e. without assuming any specific coordinate system) and allow for the fact...
  38. gfd43tg

    Heat flow through composite material

    Homework Statement The cross section of a 20 cm thick, 3 m wide, and 1 m high composite wall is shown. The conductivities of materials A, B and C are 1.0, 0.1, and 0.05 W m-1 K-1, respectively. One side is exposed to air at 295 K with a heat transfer coefficient of 4 W m-2 K-1, and the other...
  39. C

    Look of trajectory of a material point

    Homework Statement A body is moving, with the following data (these are all dependencies of the radius vector components respective to time): x(t)=At2, A>0; y(t)=Bt, B>0, z(t)=0. How does the trajectory of this movement look? Homework Equations r=x(t)i+y(t)j+z(t)k Velocity=dr/dt The Attempt at...
  40. B

    Solving Material Balance Problems in Evaporators

    I have an issue with this question: An aqueous solution containing 15% NaOH and 0.5% NaCl is concentrated at a rate of 100 kg/min in an evaporator. The concentrated solution is then mixed with 2000 kg of aqueous NaOH solution in a mixer. At the end of one hour a sample is collected from the...
  41. M

    What is the coldest freezer pack material that can stay soft?

    Hello, I'm trying to create the coldest freezer pack that is still soft and pliable. (Or will at least soften up within 10 minutes). It should also ideally stay cold for as long as possible. I've experimented with a few options so far and Water + Glycerin seems pretty good. If you add just a...
  42. F

    Why Do Heavier Particles Float in a Colloidal System?

    Hi, Sorry for double posting but I wasn't sure of the right thread. I am working with a colloidal system in which the particles are heavier than liquid. However when I add styrofoam to the system, the particles float. I can't seem to understand why the heavier particles float instead of...
  43. N

    Archived Easy Dilatation of Material Problem

    Homework Statement Given that a rock is 60% porous, and if it's subjected to a large pressure that closes the pore spaces of the rock, what is the dilatation Homework Equations dilatation = ΔV/Vo= εxx + εyy + εzz The Attempt at a Solution Is this problem as easy as it states? If...
  44. deep838

    Gauss' Law in a dielectric material

    This is what we have in text-books and in Wikipedia: ρ=ρb+ρf and from there we get ∇.D=ρf. But I am unable to understand why we are not considering the bound surface charge in deriving this equation. Can anyone explain this to me.
  45. theOrange

    Material properties for annealing cage

    When looking at the cage or structure used to carry materials into an oven for the annealing process, what material properties are most important? Lets saying during full annealing of aluminum, the oven is heated to 540 degrees Celsius. A cage is used to carry the aluminum into the oven...
  46. Roodles01

    What is the Relationship between E, D and P in a Material?

    A problem involving E, D & P. I have the answer but not sure why for the P bit.A bit of clarification if someone could, please. A thick sheet of polystyrene, of relative permittivity ε = 2.5, is placed normal to a uniform electric field of magnitude 500Vm−1 in air. Find the magnitudes of...
  47. T

    Looking for oxidizing color-changing material

    Hi, I wonder if there is a material or paint/dye that would change color when exposed to air? Ideally, it should have the following properties: White-to-black, black-to-white, or any other high contrast color transition (e.g, yellow-to-brown would work too) Works under normal conditions...
  48. S

    Creating Small Expandable Packages for Volatile Material

    I'm looking to create a very small expandable package to be filled with a very small amount of a volatile material at a low temperature. I'm looking to fill this package somewhere around 0.2mL of this material (propane, butane, etc) so that when exposed to room temperature, the package expands...
  49. S

    Can't explain an observation with material properties

    I beg forgiveness if this should be in chemistry; to me it seems more of a physics problem. This summer I had two Polyethylene terephthalate (PETE) spice bottles deform due to the sun shining on the clear plastic tub, Polypropylene(PP) in which they were stored. The first time the big tub was...
  50. PhysicsStudnt

    Best beginner's material on orbital mechanics

    Hello experts, I would be glad if anyone could help me find out some basic beginners materials on ORBITAL MECHANICS. I am looking for ones that would help me understand the practical and technical aspects of launching a satellite, maintaining it in an orbit, changing orbits, results of...
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