Properties of Metals & Alloys (AQA GCSE Design & Technology): Revision Note
Exam code: 8552
Properties of metals and alloys in commercial products
Commercial products are made from metals and alloys because of the properties that these materials have
Commercial products made from metals and alloys
Workshop handtools
Kitchen cookware
Car parts
Properties of metal and alloy products and their uses
There is a wide range of metal and alloy commercial products
The material that the manufacturer uses for each depends on the properties that the material has
Cooking
Material / component | Property | Functional consequence |
Stainless steel | Conductivity | Poor thermal conductivity on its own — which is why pans are often clad with a copper or aluminium base to spread heat evenly across the cooking surface |
Stainless steel | Toughness | Withstands the repeated impacts and thermal shock of daily kitchen use without cracking or chipping |
Hand tools
Material / component | Property | Functional consequence |
High carbon steel | Hardness | Very high hardness lets a cutting edge be ground sharp and stay sharp through repeated use |
High carbon steel | Toughness | Relatively low toughness makes it brittle, so tools made from it can chip or crack under sudden impact rather than bending |
Car parts
Material / component | Property | Functional consequence |
Mild steel | Strength | Good tensile and compressive strength lets body panels and chassis parts withstand impacts and everyday structural loads |
Mild steel | Conductivity | Good electrical conductivity allows panels to be resistance-welded quickly and accurately during assembly on the production line |
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Remember that aluminium is a good conductor of heat and electricity, never an insulator. Past papers test this exact fact directly relating to why aluminium is used to make cooking pots.
This is why stainless steel pans are often clad with an aluminium base: the steel provides durability and corrosion resistance, while the aluminium base adds the conductivity that stainless steel lacks on its own.
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