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Select any two from (i), (ii) or (iii) below and explain the difference between the terms in each: (i) Cooling curve for an alloy and a cooling curve for a pure metal - Leaving Cert Engineering - Question Question a (i) - 2019
Question Question a (i)
Select any two from (i), (ii) or (iii) below and explain the difference between the terms in each: (i) Cooling curve for an alloy and a cooling curve for a pure met... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Select any two from (i), (ii) or (iii) below and explain the difference between the terms in each: (i) Cooling curve for an alloy and a cooling curve for a pure metal - Leaving Cert Engineering - Question Question a (i) - 2019
Step 1
Cooling curve for an alloy and a cooling curve for a pure metal
Answer
A cooling curve represents the temperature of a material as it solidifies over time. In a cooling curve for a pure metal, the temperature decreases steadily until solidification begins, marked by a distinct change in slope. For alloys, the curve shows two distinct plateaus: one for the liquid phase transitioning to a liquid + solid phase (past the liquidus), and another for the solidification process where the temperature stabilizes until completely solid. The difference highlights how alloy solidification involves more complex interactions between components compared to pure metals.
Step 2
Amorphous materials and crystalline materials
Answer
Crystalline materials possess a well-ordered arrangement of atoms, resulting in a repetitive structure that extends in all directions. These materials have distinct melting points and exhibit anisotropic properties. In contrast, amorphous materials lack such long-range order, resulting in randomly arranged atoms. They transition gradually from solid to liquid without a clear melting point and exhibit isotropic properties.