Hello!
How are you? Today, let's look at how to discuss different materials and compare what their problems and strengths might be.
A: Aluminum is a flexible but strong metal for containing liquids, but could develop fatigue over time.
B. You're right. Maybe glass bottles are better.
A. That might be true, but glass is also brittle, much more than aluminum.
B. Hmm…but both glass and aluminum are recyclable.
Activity
So let's try this with these materials - talking about their problems, and comparing them to each other.
wood (for sports equipment)
aluminum (for sports equipment)
steel (for garbage containers)
plastic (for garbage containers)
How are you? Today, let's look at how to discuss different materials and compare what their problems and strengths might be.
Look at the diagram at the top. It is a model of the basic static response of an item – a component, or even a whole piece of equipment made mostly of a certain material – under a degree of tension.
In materials science, you are already learning many terms about the strengths and weaknesses of materials. There are many words in English for describing the kinds of stresses that different materials go through.
Vocabulary
Here is a selection of some of the most important terms in materials science that deal with the stresses that different materials go through. These are not the only vocabulary items for discussing problems with materials, but they are some common terms:
In materials science, you are already learning many terms about the strengths and weaknesses of materials. There are many words in English for describing the kinds of stresses that different materials go through.
Vocabulary
Here is a selection of some of the most important terms in materials science that deal with the stresses that different materials go through. These are not the only vocabulary items for discussing problems with materials, but they are some common terms:
buckling (座屈) corrosion (腐食)
fatigue (疲労、金属) creep (クリープ)
fatigue (疲労、金属) creep (クリープ)
fracture (破壊) brittleness (脆性)
Here is how you can use this vocabulary:
例えば：
glass (in bottles)
Here is how you can use this vocabulary:
To buckle (for buckling)
To corrode (for corrosion)
To fracture (for fracturing)
To develop fatigue (for fatigue)
To develop creep (for creep)
To become brittle (for brittleness)
Look at the following materials. What kinds of problems do you see that they might have? Can you also compare their strengths and weaknesses? Can you also think of another strong or weak point about the materials?
例えば：
aluminum (for cans)
A: Aluminum is a flexible but strong metal for containing liquids, but could develop fatigue over time.
B. You're right. Maybe glass bottles are better.
A. That might be true, but glass is also brittle, much more than aluminum.
B. Hmm…but both glass and aluminum are recyclable.
Activity
So let's try this with these materials - talking about their problems, and comparing them to each other.
concrete (in buildings)
glass (in buildings)
I hope this activity can help you with talking about the strengths and weaknesses of different materials and their uses.
See you next time!
Images: Top - by RicHard-59 - Own work based on Tension Test.png, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=18071922/Aluminum can - by Marcos André - https://www.flickr.com/photos/marcodede/116648094/, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=914124/Glass bottle - by Moriori - en:Image:Image-Codd_bottle.jpg Photo taken for Wikipedia by Moriori, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1134167/Concrete building - by David Schalliol via sah1365 - Buffalo City Court Building, 1971-74, Pfohl, Roberts and BiggieUploaded by Yarl, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=29098300/Glass windows - by Etan J. Tal - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=52143689/Wooden baseball bats - by Dave Hogg, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1505285/Aluminum baseball bats - cropped screenshot taken from https://www.indiamart.com/proddetail/iris-aluminum-baseball-bat-32-inch-multicolour-16784393112.html/Steel waste containers - by epSos .de - Flickr: Trash Recycling with Disposal Containers, CC BY 2.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=24115465/Plastic waste containers - by Patrick – Patrick - Canon PowerShot A200., CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=259534
