| Activities: |
Demonstration with discussion or lab. |
| Topic: |
steel, titanium, aluminum, alloys, property testing |
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Description:
Testing of metals is usually undertaken with sophisticated instruments. However, you can demonstrate to your students the basic differences between certain classes of metals using the simple spark test, presented here. You can even have your students test their “titanium” sports equipment to see if it really titanium! In many cases, they will find that the name “titanium” is used for marketing but little will be found in the product. In the process, students see the visible result of the carbon content in steel, and the lack of carbon in other materials, plus realize the reactivity of titanium metal. |
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Supplies and Equipment:
A grinding wheel
low carbon steel (nails, fasteners)
high carbon tool steel (hammer, chisel, cutting tools)
high speed steel (drill bits)
cast or wrought iron (horse shoes, cookware, engine block parts)
stainless steel (knives, tableware, cooking utensils)
titanium (get a real titanium bolt to make sure you really have titanium)
aluminum and/or brass
Hand-held vice
Safety glasses and gloves for the demonstrator
Location with a dark background for visibility of the spark train |
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| Date Of Record Creation: |
2009-09-04 00:02:20 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Of Record Release: |
2009-09-04 00:08:44 (W3C-DTF) |
| Date Last Modified: |
2009-09-04 00:11:00 (W3C-DTF) |
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