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Question

(a) What is an alloy? How is an alloy made?
(b) What elements are present in steel? How are the properties of steel different from those of pure iron?
(c) Give the constituents and one use of brass.

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Solution

(a) An alloy is a homogeneous substance which can be made by melting of two or more elements (one of which is a metal). It is defined as a mixture of metals.
It is made up of two or more chemical elements, of which at least one is a metal. An alloy has properties different from the metals it is made of. Most alloys are made by melting the metals, mixing them while they are liquid to form a solution, then leaving them to cool and turn solid again.

(b) While iron alloyed with carbon is called carbon steel, alloy steel is steel to which other alloying elements have been intentionally added to modify the characteristics of steel. Common alloying elements include manganese, nickel, chromium, molybdenum, boron, titanium, vanadium, tungsten, cobalt, and niobium.

There are many differences between iron and steel. Primarily, iron is an element while steel is an alloy comprising of iron and carbon. However, in this alloy iron is present in a greater quantity. You can add various other metals to steel so as to produce alloys that have different properties. For example, if chromium is added to steel, stainless steel is the product. It is durable and doesn’t rust easily. In the construction industry steel is used on a large scale. This is because steel is stronger than iron and it has better tension and compression properties.

(c)

The composition of brass is copper (80%) and zinc (20%). The composition of solder is tin (5%) and lead(95%). But it changes according to the quality and needs of the industrial sector.

Uses of brass: Instruments, coins, locks, bolts etc.



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