What is Materials: Definition and 980 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. A

    Conductivity of materials -- What factors influence it?

    Hi Dear, First of all I thank the administrators and the whole team that runs this forum for having accepted me to be part of this great family and also for the quality of this forum. So, I have a question regarding conductivity which is an inherent property of material, Currently I take a...
  2. J

    Which Materials would be best for IR Ceramic Coating

    Which materials would be best for an IR reflective/opaque coating to improve the efficiency of ceramic insulation materials for use in kilns and furnaces, meant for continuous use at up to 2500 deg F? I understand that materials might be useful for different wavelengths of IR, so details...
  3. awholenumber

    B Need materials to learn about different types of fractions

    I wish i had one book or pdf to learn about different types of fractions . Please help
  4. S

    Why Do Ductile Materials Neck in the Middle?

    For materials that have a propensity for necking, assuming they're heterogeneously structured/have equal strength throughout and are without defects- why do these materials have a propensity for necking in the center when forces are applied to both ends? I'm trying to use physics to explain...
  5. S

    Cardboard Robotics: Building a Desktop Robotic Arm

    Hey all! Undergrad in M.Eng here, building a desktop robotic arm (<12 inches tall, arduino board) for a personal project. I've been looking at materials, and aluminum and wood are both doable, but if possible I'd rather use a lighter material that I can cut without machines, such as a strong...
  6. C

    Can I use thermal expansion to hold together materials?

    Okay, I will give a quick run down of what I am trying to do here. What I want to do is build a tesla turbine from old hard drive disks. Being that they're already rated for high RPM, it seems like a viable option. Now these disks are probably going to be aluminum and I am probably going to buy...
  7. camerart

    What materials are safe in a microwave?

    Hi, I am carrying out some tests using the laser image transfer method, where the image of a circuit is put on a PCB as an acid resist, so leaving the circuit in copper. My thread PCB by Laser transfer. My method is a 'sandwich' of two stiff plates app 110x160mm bolted at the edges...
  8. S

    Rewind Stator Winding Alternator | Insulation Materials Needed

    I want to rewind the stator winding of an automotive alternator. Want insulation materials I need for that ? Thanks for help Sam
  9. J

    Courses Mechatronics vs Materials science, which course first?

    I have the choice of 6ECTS, and I will use it on either a Mechatronics course or a Materials Science course. My field is biomedical engineering, which course would you recommend, does either of the courses pre-requisites the other?
  10. P

    Surface impedance in porous rigid materials

    Hi guys, I've got an exam in a few days and my lecturer is unresponsive, so wondering if you can help me. The question I am solving is the following: Calculate the impedance at the surface of a layer of spruce wood of thickness d equal to 2mm, and of density rho equal to 0.47 Mg/m3 at...
  11. R

    Coefficient of friction of various materials not listed in standard references

    I'm interested in finding out what the coefficient of friction would be for a few different materials such as:Copper on aluminum Copper on graphite graphite on aluminum I'm not sure if it matters if the order is reversed such as Aluminum on copper vs copper on aluminum.. also I've seen that...
  12. J

    I Emission spectra of different materials

    I have some more detailed questions on this further on but I found it better to start with a very basic question first: If higher temperature is correlated with shorter emitting wavelengths, how come there are incandescent light bulbs that emit yellowish light but are hotter than incandescent...
  13. S

    I Strength of materials in a reinforcing being for garage

    I have a 30 by 30 pole barn type garage that is my workshop where I am trying to restore an old 68 Mustang of my grandfather who passed away. The trusses are 2x4 and are four feet apart. My thinking was to create a beam that runs perpendicular to the trusses about 10 to 15 feet from the edge...
  14. Drakkith

    Cherenkov Radiation and Non-Dielectric Materials

    Cherenkov radiation is described as being generated by a charged particle moving through a dielectric medium with a velocity greater than c/n, where n is the refractive index in that medium. Since n varies with frequency, there is a cutoff where n drops below 1 and no radiation is emitted above...
  15. G

    Do ferromagnetic materials do "spatial averaging"?

    Hi Everyone - I have a classical E&M physics problem that I've been tearing my hair out over. It relates to how ferromagnetic materials boost the field strength of a non-uniform magnetic field. My takeaway from college physics class was that (assuming there's no saturation in the material) the...
  16. Spacey

    Electroplating - radioactive materials in my drawer?

    Hello! I'm a high school science teacher who was recently switched to teaching physics for the first time mid-year. I remember doing an electroplating demonstration in my gradeschool days for a science fair. It was fascinating and now I want to give my students a chance to do some hands-on...
  17. chikou24i

    I Discharge voltage of materials for Li-Ion batteries

    What do we mean by a discharge voltage of a material ? and is it good to have a low one or a high one ? Thank you.
  18. I

    Which materials have the highest coefficients of friction?

    I am aware that there needs to be two materials for there to be a coefficient of friction, but I mean in general. For example, I know synthetic setae are very resistant to slipping on surfaces.
  19. Apollo16

    Schools PhD for Nuclear Engineering (Materials Emphasis)

    Hi all, I have been accepted to a few schools for nuclear engineering (masters and phd programs) and wanted an opinion on which school has the best groups for nuclear materials research? I have been accepted into the following programs: University of Michigan Texas A&M University Berkeley...
  20. Sneaky6666

    How to create a camera mount with basic materials?

    I have a project which requires me to get 5 very specific images of an object from various angles. The user can't use their hands because it would be too shakey and introduce error. These images have to be precise and steady. So that's why I need to build a helper camera mounting device to help...
  21. ramzerimar

    Strength of materials vs Theory of Elasticity

    In mechanical engineering we have various courses in strenght of materials, and I've noticed that graduate students learn the Theory of Elasticity. I've researched a little bit about it, and I know that the Theory of Elasticity is more general than strenght of materials. But I have some doubts...
  22. C

    What would mixing different radioactive materials do?

    If I was to throw together I variety of radioactive materials into a pot, what would be the interaction between the different materials? If I threw together Barium and Polonium, what would happen? What if I added Cesium, Europium, and Strontium to the mix? What about throwing in Uranium? Will...
  23. hdp12

    Designing a Mechanism to Cut Aluminum Bar: Help Needed!

    Hi there So we have a group design project in my mechanical systems 2 class and it basically goes as follows: design a mechanism to cut a half inch aluminum bar in half using a standard hacksaw blade and 4 AA batteries. You have to use a motor w/ input > 5000 rpm for the 'main' component we...
  24. jdawg

    Mechanics of Materials: Statically Indeterminate Problems

    Homework Statement Hi! So my question isn't really about a specific problem, but more of when to use which method. I'm having trouble knowing when to use the method of super position, the force method, or just being able to go straight into just writing the equilibrium equation and the...
  25. H

    Solving specific heat problem with two materials

    Homework Statement Imagine I have a 3.5 kg brick at 80 °C that I put in 10l of water at 20 °C. What will the final temperature of the water be? SHC brick = 840 J kg-1 °C -1 Homework Equations E = mc∆θ The Attempt at a Solution First I calculated the energy available from the brick to heat...
  26. Avatrin

    Physical properties of materials in the human body

    I am looking for resources on the physical properties of the various components that make up the human body. As an example of what I am looking for; If we look at the finger, we know it has bones, skins, nails, blood etc. What are the various physical properties of these different parts...
  27. CassieFordham

    Layering different dielectric materials to increase breakdown voltage

    This is a general question, not a homework question, and @berkeman said I should post it in the EE forum... I'm trying to get a better understanding of the relationship of dielectric constant (relative permitivity) to dielectric strength (breakdown voltage).I want to know what happens when you...
  28. E

    Material Science -- using materials without specifying crystal directions

    Why in most practical applications, most materials properties are given without specifying crystal directions. Are they trying to say all materials are isotropic?
  29. ScrollPortals

    Need to test Tactile user-experience of different Materials

    I'm having someone make something for me. I wanted to know the best way I could test a whole bunch of different materials with different friction, texture and tactility. Where can I get a load of samples to test? I may have to reach out to different sources and purchase the different materials.
  30. brianempson

    Decontaminating Radioactive Materials

    Is there a way or process to neutralize the radioactive properties of a material (i.e. Make a radioactive substance stop ionizing it's surroundings?) Alternatively, since the gamma radiation penetrates through materials the most, is there a way of "slowing down" the frequency (lowering the...
  31. RoboNerd

    Resistor made from two materials

    Hi everyone, I am having problems figuring out how to solve a particular problem. Because I was not able to access PhysicsForums recently, I typed everything about my issues into a pdf file that I have attached below. I am grateful for your help in advance, and make it a great day...
  32. Peter de Haan

    Calculation of friction stresses between 2 materials

    Dear All, I am looking for a method to calculate the friction stresses created in 1 mm thick, fully supported, slide of soda-lime silica glass. In this experiment a 1/4" ball bearing of various metals is being translated over the glass surface under a constant load of 2000g. The glass slide is...
  33. U

    Need help with a laminate analysis problem

    Hi, I am looking for some guidance on a problem I am trying to solve on laminate analysis. This is a flat laminate (9 plies with a thickness of 0.125mm) of unidirectional carbon fibre reinforced plastic with a stacking sequence of: 0/60/0/-60/90/-60/0/60/0. Ply properties are as follows: E1 =...
  34. C

    Identifying Broad Reflections in XRD Patterns

    Hello, everyone! Let's say I have an XRD pattern which has broad reflections. I don't know what material it is (don't know what temperature and conditions it is made). How to know whether those broad reflections are from nanomaterial or amorphous material?
  35. B

    What materials do I need to wire a VFD?

    Hi everyone, I am part of a senior design group that is building a dynonameter to test shocks. We are ordering parts tomorrow morning and so I want to make sure that I am not missing anything. I do not have any experience with VFD's or three phase motors but I am doing my best to research and...
  36. I

    Is the use of materials to confine nuclear fusion ruled out?

    Usually people talk about magnetic confinement schemes or some such thing for fusion reactions presumably because the pressure and temperatures would vaporize/destroy all conceived material vessels too quickly. I would like to hear someone talk about the limits of materials in this realm. So...
  37. V

    Engineering Materials Science Introduction Book?

    Specifically, for a high schooler with only basic physics and chemistry knowledge who is interested in the field
  38. MiTCHaPaLOOUZA

    Statics and Strength of Materials

    Ive been trying to work out these problems for 2 days now. I've read through the book "Statics and Strength of Materials, Second Edition" By: Cheng. I've googled Everything. I've been on other Forums and have got no reply. I've tried Facebook Math Pages. No Answers. I've been Looking for free...
  39. M

    Use of solid materials as medium for data transfer

    Really odd question for you guys but I'm curious about your input, and apologies if it's a foolish question to ask anyway(I'm a CS student and this came up in a discussion with a classmate of mine). So I know this is a fairly odd thought and not likely practical in any real world scenario, but...
  40. P

    Materials engineering Concrete

    Homework Statement How does the compressive strength of concrete samples compared to the expected compressive strength of cured concrete. If different explain why. The Attempt at a Solution I think the question is asking what is the relationship between time and curing. And I think that the...
  41. A

    Two Coaxial Linear Magnetic Materials

    Homework Statement Consider a two-layered cylindrical wire with inner-layer permeability μ1 and outer-layer permeability μ2. A line current I runs through the center in the z direction. Calculate the bound currents and the magnetic field produced by the bound currents. Homework Equations [1]...
  42. A

    B Why do radioactive materials decay in half-lifes?

    Why do radioactive materials decay in half-lifes exponential decay and not over mean time, i.e. like a Bell Curve
  43. Naytile

    Programs Materials PhD help: Low GRE score spooks physics major

    Hi. So, I took the general GRE the other day and did crappy on the Quant. This worries me. I'm applying to Materials Engineering PhD programs soon. I'd like to get some opinions of how deep of a ditch I've dug for grad school, or how much this retracts from the rest of my credentials. Do I stand...
  44. Apollo16

    Research Area for Nuclear Engineering Ph.D

    So I'm currently a senior undergraduate nuclear engineer at a respected university and I've been considering getting my Ph.D for a while now. I'm having difficulty deciding on a specific research area, however. I'd like my research, optimally, to be applicable outside the nuclear sector as well...
  45. F

    I Where to Buy Meta Materials for Scientific Research?

    Hello, Around 18 months ago I did a search on buying mete materials & came up with numerous results. This time I searched & found nothing. So I am posting this to find out where (on the internet) I could purchase meta materials. I am searching for a meta material 3 to 4 inches in diameter with...
  46. Metals

    Difference between Young's Modulus and spring constant?

    I have read that Young's Modulus, like spring constant, is a measure of stiffness (how hard it is to deform a material). Though apparently, Young's Modulus is a way of doing so that applies only to the material and not its shape, where a spring constant value depends on the dimensions of the...
  47. E

    Where can I buy extremely dense and cheap manmade materials?

    Hi PF, As you all may know, the densest naturally occurring material is Osmium, which is 22.59 g/cm3...but it also costs $100/g. Is there any manmade dense material that is 25 g/cm3 and under $1/g? I know lead is the "dense" material to buy in bulk, but even that is only 11 g/cm3. Any help...
  48. S

    Leaching considerations with reactive heat sink materials

    I need to cool a slow moving small flow of hydroponic plant water, at most 1000 ppm nutrients, with a pH of typically around 6. I'd like to use aluminum or copper heat sink directly in that fluid stream to drop temp 10 or 20 degrees F down to 50-60F neighborhood. My concern is I don't want...
  49. D

    Other Reading materials for cellular biology?

    Any suggestion?
  50. J

    Job Skills Study materials for Investment Portfolio Manager position?

    I recently got my B.S. in Physics and began applying to various entry-level analytical jobs. An investment management firm is going to give me a 3 hour test online. The subjects are as follows: Brokerage Firm Case Study Excel Data Proofing Logic I feel comfortable self studying vlook ups and...
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