PROPERTIES

AND
CHARACTERISTI
CS OF
MATERIALS
PHYSICAL
Physical properties of matter
are inherent characteristics
that can be observed or
measured without altering the
identity of the substance.
 Hardness: The
Color: An observable
resistance of a
characteristic that
substance to
distinguishes
deformation or
substances.
scratching.

PHYSICAL
Malleability: The ability Solubility: The capacity
of a material to of a substance to
withstand deformation dissolve in a solvent,
under pressure, often like water in the case of

PROPERTI
seen in metals. salt.

Electrical Conductivity:
Density: The mass of a

ES
The ability of a
substance per unit
substance to conduct
volume.
electricity.

Boiling Point: The

Melting Point: The
temperature at which a
temperature at which a
liquid turns into a
solid turns into a liquid.
vapor.
MECHANICA
L
The mechanical properties of
materials play a pivotal role in
determining their strength,
malleability, and overall ability
to be molded into desired
shapes.
 1. Strength: The ability of a material to
withstand an applied force without
breaking or deforming. It is typically
measured in terms of tensile strength,
compressive strength, or shear strength.

MECHANIC
AL 2. Toughness: The ability of a material to
absorb energy and deform plastically

PROPERTIE
before fracturing. Tough materials can
withstand impact and shock loading.

S
3. Hardness: The resistance of a material
to deformation, scratching, or abrasion. It
is often measured using methods like the
Mohs scale or Rockwell hardness scale.
 4. Hardenability: The ability of a material to be
hardened through heat treatment, typically by
quenching from high temperatures. It is an
important factor in determining how well a
material can be transformed into a harder,
more durable state.

MECHANIC
AL 5. Brittleness: The tendency of a material to
fracture or break without significant

PROPERTIE
deformation. Brittle materials are prone to
sudden failure under stress.

S
6. Malleability: The ability of a material to
withstand deformation under compressive
stress, resulting in a change of shape without
rupture. Malleable materials can be hammered
or rolled into thin sheets.
 7. Ductility: The ability of a material to undergo
significant plastic deformation before rupture or
fracture. Ductile materials can be drawn out into thin
wires.

8. Creep and Slip: Creep refers to the slow, time-

MECHANIC dependent deformation of a material under a constant

load or stress, while slip is the movement of crystal
planes in materials, particularly in metals, leading to
AL plastic deformation.

PROPERTIE 9. Resilience: The ability of a material to absorb energy

when deformed elastically and to release that energy
S upon unloading. It is often related to a material's ability
to resist impact and return to its original shape.

10. Fatigue: The progressive and localized structural

damage that occurs when a material undergoes
repeated cyclic loading. Fatigue can lead to failure even
at stress levels significantly below the material's
ultimate strength.
CHEMICAL
Chemical properties encompass the
inherent characteristics of a substance
related to its reactivity and ability to
undergo chemical changes. These
properties provide insights into how a
substance interacts with other
materials, leading to the formation of
new substances.
KEY EXAMPLES

1. Flammability: Flammability refers to the susceptibility of a substance to ignite and sustain combustion when
exposed to a flame or heat. Understanding a material's flammability is crucial for safety considerations and
determining its suitability in various applications, such as manufacturing and storage.

2. Susceptibility to Corrosion: Susceptibility to corrosion denotes a material's tendency to undergo a chemical

reaction with its environment, leading to the deterioration of its structure through processes like oxidation.
Assessing a material's resistance or vulnerability to corrosion is vital in industries like construction, automotive, and
infrastructure, where exposure to moisture and other corrosive agents can impact durability and longevity.
THERMAL
Thermal properties describe how a
substance responds to changes in
temperature and heat. These
properties are crucial in
understanding how materials
conduct, transfer, store, and
respond to thermal energy.
THERMAL PROPERTIES
2. Specific Heat Capacity:
3. Thermal Expansion: The
The amount of heat
1. Thermal Conductivity: tendency of a material to
energy required to raise
The ability of a material to change its shape, area,
the temperature of a unit
conduct heat. and volume in response to
mass of a substance by
a change in temperature.
one degree Celsius.

5. Boiling Point: The 6. Thermal Diffusivity: A

4. Melting Point: The
temperature at which a measure of how quickly
temperature at which a
substance changes from a heat can spread through a
solid turns into a liquid.
liquid to a gas. material.
ELECTRICAL
Electrical properties describe how a
material responds to the flow of
electric current and the presence of an
electric field. These properties are
essential in the design and
functionality of electronic devices and
systems.
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES

1. Electrical Conductivity: Electrical conductivity is the ability of a material to conduct electric current.
It is determined by the mobility of charge carriers (electrons or ions) within the material.

2. Resistivity: Definition: Resistivity is the intrinsic property of a material that opposes the flow of
electric current. It is the reciprocal of electrical conductivity and is measured in ohm-meters.

3. Dielectric Constant (Permittivity): Definition: The dielectric constant, or permittivity, measures how
well a material can store electrical energy in an electric field. It is essential in the design of capacitors
and other electronic components.
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES

4. Dielectric Strength: Dielectric strength is the maximum electric field that a material can
withstand without electrical breakdown, leading to the formation of an electrically conductive
path.

5. Electric Polarization: Electric polarization is the alignment of electric dipoles in a material in

response to an applied electric field. It contributes to the material's electrical behavior.

6. Superconductivity: Superconductivity is a state in which a material exhibits zero electrical

resistance and the expulsion of magnetic fields when cooled below a critical temperature.
Superconductors have important applications in various technologies.
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES

7. Semiconductor Properties: Semiconductors are materials with electrical conductivity between that of
conductors and insulators. The electrical properties of semiconductors can be controlled and
manipulated for use in electronic devices like transistors and diodes.

8. Electromotive Force (EMF): Electromotive force is the electric potential difference provided by a power
source, such as a battery or generator, to drive the flow of electric current in a circuit.
MAGNETIC
Magnetic properties describe how
a material responds to magnetic
fields and its ability to become
magnetized. These properties play
a crucial role in various
applications, including electronics,
power generation, and medical
technologies.
MAGNETIC
PROPERTIES
1. Magnetic Permeability: Magnetic
permeability is a measure of a material's
ability to respond to an applied magnetic field
by becoming magnetized. It is a fundamental
property in the study of magnetic materials.
2. Magnetic Susceptibility: Magnetic
susceptibility is a dimensionless measure of
how easily a material can be magnetized in
response to an applied magnetic field.
3. Magnetic Saturation: Magnetic saturation is
the state reached when a material cannot be
further magnetized in a particular direction,
even with an increase in the applied magnetic
field strength.
MAGNETIC
PROPERTIES
4. Retentivity (Remanence): Retentivity, also
known as remanence, is the ability of a
material to retain its magnetization even after
the removal of the external magnetic field.
5. Coercivity: Coercivity is the measure of the
resistance of a material to demagnetization. It
represents the strength of an opposing
magnetic field required to reduce the
magnetization to zero.
6. Curie Temperature: The Curie temperature
is the temperature at which a ferromagnetic
or ferrimagnetic material undergoes a phase
transition and loses its permanent magnetic
properties.
MAGNETIC
PROPERTIES
7. Magnetic Hysteresis: Magnetic hysteresis
refers to the lagging of magnetic induction
behind the magnetizing force in a magnetic
material, resulting in a loop-like behavior in
the magnetization curve during the process of
magnetization and demagnetization.
8. Domain Magnetization: Domain
magnetization involves the alignment of
magnetic domains within a material,
influencing its overall magnetic behavior.
Domain alignment is a key factor in the
magnetization process.
OPTICAL
Optical properties describe how a
material interacts with light and
other forms of electromagnetic
radiation. These properties are
crucial in various fields such as
optics, photonics, and materials
science.
 1. Refractive Index: Refractive index is a
measure of how much a material can bend
or refract light. It is the ratio of the speed of
light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the
material.

OPTICAL 2. Transparency and Opacity: Transparency

is the ability of a material to allow light to

PROPERTI pass through without significant scattering

or absorption, while opacity refers to the
degree to which a material blocks the

ES transmission of light.

3. Absorption: Absorption is the process by

which light energy is taken up and converted
into other forms of energy within a material.
 4. Reflectance: Reflectance is the ability of a material
to reflect light. It is often expressed as the ratio of
reflected light to incident light.

5. Luminance: Luminance is a measure of the intensity

OPTICAL of light emitted or reflected by a surface, often used in

the study of lighting and visual perception.

PROPERTI
ES
6. Dispersion: Dispersion is the separation of light into
its component colors as it passes through a material. It
is responsible for phenomena like the rainbow
produced by a prism.

7. Optical Birefringence: Optical birefringence occurs

when a material exhibits different refractive indices for
light polarized in different directions. This property is
often observed in anisotropic crystals.
 8. Scattering: Scattering is the redirection
of light in all directions by small particles
or irregularities in a material. It
contributes to effects such as the blue
color of the sky.

OPTICAL 9. Polarization: Polarization refers to the

orientation of the electric field vector of
PROPERTI light waves. Polarizing materials can
selectively allow light waves with a

ES
specific polarization to pass through.

10. Optical Density: Optical density, often

measured in terms of absorbance,
quantifies the extent to which a material
absorbs light. It is commonly used in
spectrophotometry.
TNX PO