ENT145 Materials Engineering

Assignment 1 (Answer)

Q1. List major components in your computer (at least 5 components). For each
component, determine the class of materials used in its structure (identify the specific
material if you can).

Answer:
1. The keyboard, monitor, and tower housing –polymers (ABS, high impact polystyrene,
blends)
2. Tower casing – metal (aluminum alloy)
3. Cable, cord covers – polymers (polyethylene, Teflon, PVC, etc.)
4. Chip materials – metals, ceramics, electronic materials (silicon, silicon dioxide,
copper, gold, silver, etc…)
5. Monitor (cathode-ray tube type)- Polymers and metals (Glass, steel, copper, PVC,
rubber)

Q2. Why should Mechanical Engineers be knowledgeable about composition, properties

Answer:
All branches of mechanical engineering will require selection of materials for a
variety of applications in automobiles, power plants, and machines (to name a few)
based on a variety of requirements including weight, strength, stiffness, deformability,
corrosion, conductivity, magnetism, etc. Knowledge of composition, properties, and
processing is critical to select, modify, and apply materials to various applications.
(You can highlight many more reasons for the importance of materials knowledge in
your field)

Q3. A certain application requires a material that is lightweight, an insulator, and has some
flexibility.
(a) Which class of materials would you search for this selection?
(b) Explain your answer from a bonding point of view.

Answer:
(a) The characteristics required are found in polymers.
(b) - Polymers are insulators because all valence electrons are involved in
covalent bonds within the polymeric molecule.
- The bonding between molecules however is of the secondary type
(electrostatic attraction). This allows the material to be flexible.
- The polymer is also low density because there exists large empty spaces
(gaps) in the structure between molecules.
Q4. Prove that the atomic packing factor (APF) for the FCC crystal structure is 0.74.
Answer:

Q5. Explain in general terms, why many polymers and some ceramic glasses have an
amorphous or semicrystalline structure.

Answer:

 There are fasters that inhibit the formation of a periodic ordered arrangement of atoms
or molecules in certain materials thus causing formation of amorphous structures.
 In polymers, the major factor is the existence the secondary bonds between molecules
which will not allow for tight and parallel positioning of molecules everywhere in the
material.
 In ceramic glasses, even a modest cooling rate will stop the progression of
crystallization and the glass will become amorphous.

Q6. Why is it important or helpful to classify materials into different groups as we have
discussed in the lecture?

Answer:
Classification of materials allows the engineer to associate certain general
characteristics with a specific material. This knowledge is very important. For
instance one you realized that material x is classified as a ceramic, without actually
knowing the exact properties, you will immediately know that it will be brittle, low
density, chemically stable, low friction etc. You will also know the nature of its
atomic structure (chapters 2 and 3). In general it gives you the ability to seek
candidates for your materials selection applications.
Q7. Compare and contrast the three primary bond in detail (draw a schematic diagram for
each). Explain driving force in the formation of such bonds or in other words why do
atoms want to bond at all?
Answer:

Q8. Pure aluminium is a ductile metal with low tensile strength and hardness. Its oxide
Al2O3 (alumina) is extremely strong, hard and brittle. Explain this difference from
atomic bonding point of view.

Answer:
Pure aluminium is a metal with mostly metallic bonds. Alumina (Al2O3) is a ceramic
mostly ionic bonds in a 3-d network. The strength of the ionic bond is significantly
higher than the metallic bonds. Thus, more energy is required to break the bonds
between Al and O then between Al and Al.
Q9. Prove that the volume of an FCC unit cell, VC is;

𝑉𝐶 = 16𝑅 3 √2
Answer: