Correlation between metal strength and melting point?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between the strength of metals and their melting points, exploring whether stronger metals tend to have higher melting points. Participants also touch on the calculation of energy used in moving objects based on weight and distance.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question if stronger metals necessarily have higher melting points, suggesting it may not be a straightforward relationship.
  • There is mention that tensile strength can vary with temperature, complicating the relationship between strength and melting point.
  • One participant suggests that the melting behavior of metals may be specific to each metal, indicating variability in how strength and melting point correlate.
  • Participants discuss the calculation of work done when moving an object, with references to kinetic energy and the forces involved.
  • Formulas for calculating work and kinetic energy are provided, though some participants express difficulty in understanding these equations.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the correlation between metal strength and melting point, indicating that the relationship is not universally agreed upon. There is also a lack of consensus on the complexity of calculating energy in motion, with some participants seeking clarification on the mathematical concepts involved.

Contextual Notes

Discussions include references to specific metals and their properties, but the assumptions underlying the relationships between strength, melting point, and temperature are not fully resolved. The mathematical steps for calculating energy are presented but remain complex for some participants.

Who May Find This Useful

Individuals interested in materials science, physics, and engineering, particularly those exploring the properties of metals and energy calculations in motion.

Physics quest
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I am unsure of this matter and so I am curious, do stronger metals more than likely have higher melting/heating points? Does a metal that takes more force/pressure to break or snap have a higher melting/heating point as well? Do metals/alloys like steel or titanium have higher melting points than a softer metal due to their strength? or is it deeper than that?

Also, although not technically related I thought another matter was not worth a new thread, I was just interested in how to calculate, if its possible the energy used in moving an object based on weight and distance/time it took to travel.

Thank you for your time.
 
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1. Its one of those yes and no things - you can look up tensile strengths and melting points for different metals and see for yourself.

2. you do work whenever you accelerate an object equal to the change in kinetic energy, which is also the applied force multiplied by the distance moved.
 
Simon Bridge said:
1. Its one of those yes and no things - you can look up tensile strengths and melting points for different metals and see for yourself.

2. you do work whenever you accelerate an object equal to the change in kinetic energy, which is also the applied force multiplied by the distance moved.

1. So its not really related? strong metals may melt quicker than softer metals and its really just specific to the metal?

2. So how do I find the change in kinetic energy? Let's say I picked up say a bowling ball, assuming all I got was its weight and the speed I accelerated it to, distance it went etc could I find out how much energy I was dealing with?
 
1. Its one of those yes and no things - you can look up tensile strengths and melting points for different metals and see for yourself.

It's a bit more complicated than this since tensile strength is itself a function of temperature as was found at great cost when the 'Liberty Ships' broke up due to cold induced brittle failure.
 
Physics quest said:
1. So its not really related? strong metals may melt quicker than softer metals and its really just specific to the metal?
Like the guy said - the strength of materials also depends on temperature - and depend differently for different materials so material a is stronger than material B at temp T1, but it is reversed at T2. Like I said - go look.
2. So how do I find the change in kinetic energy? Let's say I picked up say a bowling ball, assuming all I got was its weight and the speed I accelerated it to, distance it went etc could I find out how much energy I was dealing with?

You can do it directly from difference of kinetic energy:
[itex]W=\frac{1}{2}mv_2^2 - \frac{1}{2}mv_1^2[/itex]

... for your example, you'd have to find the initial speed from kinematics.

[itex]v_1^2=v_2^2-2ad[/itex]

But I'd reason like this:

[itex]W=Fd[/itex] but [itex]F=ma[/itex] so [itex]W=mad[/itex] ;) and your example has all these. (Note: the KE method will produce the same formula.)
 
Hm these formulae are a bit beyond me. Do you mind breaking it down as basic as possible? without any abreviation?
 

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