What is Material: Definition and 1000 Discussions

A material is a substance or mixture of substances that constitutes an object. Materials can be pure or impure, living or non-living matter. Materials can be classified based on their physical and chemical properties, or on their geological origin or biological function. Materials science is the study of materials and their applications.
Raw materials can be processed in different ways to influence their properties, by purification, shaping or the introduction of other materials. New materials can be produced from raw materials by synthesis.
In industry, materials are inputs to manufacturing processes to produce products or more complex materials.

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  1. G

    Any type of material that expands with electricity?

    Is there any type of liquid or solid, or any material that will expand with the addition of electricity, or vice versa?
  2. T

    As we stretch a ductile material, does the x section area decrease

    ...in the elastic region? Or does the x section area decrease only after the yield point?
  3. S

    Boundary of nuclear material sample

    we know that the full life of radioactive sample is infinity. and if we take one radioactive atom in the sample then it's full is measurable and short. it changes when when it emits sub atomic particles. which contradict each other. we need to know more. the dimension of radioactive constant...
  4. D

    Fracturing Material: Why 2 Opposing Forces?

    Hi,I have thought about this question for the whole night but I couldn't solve it. I want to ask why we need at least 2 forces(they are in opposite direction) to separatre an object. 1 force or several forces act at the same direction could never divide an object.(but the object will accelerate)...
  5. W

    What is the hardest man made material?

    Im just curious if Humans have created anything harder than a diamond.
  6. I

    Finding material thickness on cylindrical shells

    I have been tasked to find the material thickness needed for a cylindrical shell with open ends. I have been given the internal pressure, the cylinder inside diameter, the Poisson's ratio and the allowable tensile strength. I have used Birnie's equation to solve (see attached file in thread...
  7. D

    Schools Neuroscience (reading material and grad school programs?)

    Hi, Over the past year, I've started finding the field of neuroscience very interesting. Can anyone recommend any books for a complete newbie on the field? And just out of curiosity, what graduate schools have good neuroscience/neurophysics programs?
  8. C

    Books (or any information material) about the nervous system?

    I appear to have a very specific need, I require some sort of a book that covers the human nervous system from a to z, I need to know everything about it, what it's made of, what each part's function are, how the nerves behave at each particular sections of the body, the calculations that are...
  9. G

    Where can i know what conference related to material science can be found?

    where can i know what conference related to material science can be found? as topic
  10. dkotschessaa

    Differential Equations Intro material

    Homework Statement What function do you know from calculus is such that its first derivative is a constant multiple k of itself? (Do not use the function f(x) = 0.) Homework Equations The previous question asked what function was a derivative of itself - with the pretty easy answer...
  11. V

    Material Science career prospects?

    Hi. I'm about to pick my undergraduate degree and I can't decide on the engineering course I want. I was thinking of applying for a BEng in Material Science or Material Engineering but I'm not too sure about the job prospects for a degree in these subjects. Can anyone here tell me if picking...
  12. S

    Lab reference material for physics undergrads?

    Hey, I'm wondering if there is a small reference book/sheet or so around for writing up experiments in undergraduate lab work, mostly in the error analysis? How did/do you go about deciding on how to calculate various errors? Thanks!
  13. D

    Good reading material for quantum physics?

    I am fairly new to quantum physics, I don't know much more than the double slit experiment and schrodinger's cat paradox. Can anyone tell me what would be a good subject to read about to be able to "understand" quantum physics? Superposition? Entanglement? Also, if anyone has any good...
  14. T

    Requesting E&M reading material suggestions

    Hi, I'm looking for some additional reading material while preparing for an E&M course. I'm going through Jackson and Griffiths, and I'd like to read a few scientific papers that will be good "E&M exercises." Anybody have papers in mind? Any suggestions for an intro to plasma containment?
  15. S

    Needed: Material for Engine Compartment bolt on.

    Dear Physics Forums members, I humbly ask your guidance on a project I've just started :blushing:. I need to find a material that can be fabricated for a device that is to be placed in a car engine compartment. Forged, cast or cut, it must withstand the heat of the engine (although it will...
  16. S

    Ductile material engineering stress-strain curve

    I understand that the engineering stress-strain curve of different material under tension test is different, but for the sake of simplicity the scope of this discussion will be for a general ductile material. If you have to pick a specify example, I think perhaps you can use steel or iron...
  17. M

    Efficiently Learning & Retaining Course Material

    The way I study is I read through the course book and while I read I write down everything that I feel is important, but this takes a lot of time and its not very effective. Typically the things I will write down are: 1.Theorems 2.Proofs 3.Equations- and how they arrived at the equation...
  18. H

    Wave through a compressbile material

    Hi, I need to know what is expected to happen if say a wave (say a sine wave or en exponential wave) passe through an isothermal gas or a liquid (with compressibility). So the governing equations are the Euler equations. what is expected to happen if the initial velocity of the gas or the...
  19. J

    Best material for a phone case?

    Cost is not really an issue (to an extent). The only requirements are that it is as strong and thin as possible whilst remaining *slightly* flexible. I know very little about this so any help is appreciated
  20. E

    Abaqus Ultra High Molecular Weight Poly Ethylene (UHMWPe) Material Modelling

    Hey there, I am currently working on creating models in Abaqus of Wrist implants to see how they respond under different loading conditions. I have used Mimics to export orphan meshes of the wrist bones and also imported the wrist implant itself. My simulations seems to be running fine all...
  21. Z

    Little strange material to find or build

    Well, the thing is that since one year or more I'm trying to find a non toxic compound that can be done mixing water with "something", I need that the result of that has "like gum" properties, or a high density foam (like a hard mattress). I don't know much about chemistry but I think there must...
  22. 3

    Material Studio: Assigning Displacement to a Model Edge

    http://community.accelrys.com/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/2-14223-12512/%E5%9B%BE%E7%89%871.png I want to assign displacement to the top edge of the above model in Material Studio. How to realize it ? Thank you !
  23. K

    Interaction between two material points

    Hi, there are two material points with unitary mass that can move on a stright line. They are subject to a potential of mutual interaction V which depends on x and y and it's not symmetric, where x and y are the coordinates of the two points. I can choose in the istant 0 v1,v2,x and y. How...
  24. L

    When material not be magnetized by a magnetic?

    In what case will a material not be magnetized by a field (magnetic) if it is a type of conductor? thanks for your help!
  25. E

    Decoding material specifications

    Hello, I've been trying to learn exactly how materials are specified, with particular reference to pipes and fittings, and I've come across some conflicting information and apparent confusion. The callouts I've been coming across have an ASTM #, grade #, amd sometimes a UNS#. For example...
  26. A

    What electric isolator material?

    Hi all I need some suggestions on what material to use, hope you guys can help me. It needs to be an electric isolator, as rigid and stiff as possible without being brittle. I must be able to drill holes into it and put some pressure on it without it cracking and it needs to be as durable in...
  27. S

    How to determine material of metal (magnetism)

    Homework Statement Three bars of metal are known to be brass iron and steel. A magnet was used to distinguish between them. (the metal bars are placed under the south pole of a bar magnet and are used to pick up tacks) Metal 1 picked up 10, metal 2 picked up 6 and metal 3 picked up 2...
  28. B

    Flexible material suitable for high voltage (≥70kV) insulation

    I am hoping for some advice on materials to be used for insulating up to 70kV. I am doing some preliminary research for an application in the aviation industry, however I am not an engineer and need some guidance. I have looked at mica sheet, although to insulate against such high voltages it...
  29. J

    Time, Ontology & Platonic Reality vs Material Reality

    I’m not sure in what is the best way approach this topic in-order to stay within the forum guidelines but I hope I’ve done so. From the recent moderator actions, this topic it is too far removed from the philosophy of mathematics to be part of that thread. The basic question is whether existence...
  30. F

    Material choices and Stress Analysis for product im developing for school

    Homework Statement Hello I am designing a product basically called Transfer Board, and need some guidelines on what I should do to get the most accurate and relevant stress analysis result needed to score well. This might take some time for anyone but any help of yours is really appreciated...
  31. 1

    Material science: Imperfections in solids

    Determine the number of vacancies per cm^3 needed for a BCC iron crystal to have a density of 7.87 g/cm^3. The lattice parameter of the iron is 2.866x10^-8 cm and the atomic weight of the iron is 55.847 g/mol. Given: Avogradro's number, N=6.022x10^23 atoms/mol Help please? i have no idea how...
  32. K

    Spin direction through ferromagnetic material

    What is the spin direction of the electrons through the ferromagnetic material? It will become parallel or antiparallel? I was confused because the scattering rate and conductivity both depend on the density of state at Fermi level. For ferromagnetic material, is it right to say that at the...
  33. S

    Join two broke pieces of the same material

    Hello, if I broke for example a piece of wood in two pieces I give the atoms enough force to separate in the break point with the others, so why putting the two pieces together and pressing them the atoms don't join again ? Thank you!
  34. S

    Sorry this is the wrong topic, but I could not post in Math Learning Material

    Hi. I want to study probability over the summer. The course I'm taking in the fall uses the Degroot and Schervish textbook. My friend took it last semester and agreed to sell it to me for cheap,a nd I left it at my apartment back at college over the summer. I'd like to know what's a good book...
  35. T

    Stiff material with low thermal conductivity

    Hi, i'm searching for a material with the following properties: - high stiffness - low thermal conductivity - temperature resistance up to 150°C (not getting too soft at 150°C) - no low friction coefficient (so no PTFE) - good fracture behaviour (so no glass, ceramic) - cheap I've...
  36. M

    Thickness of material to support a heavy load

    My situation is i have a 10kg battery that is mounted on top of a plastic material. How would i exactly calculate the right thickness for the plastic to support the 10kg battery?
  37. A

    How Does Polarization Affect Capacitor Charge and Potential Difference?

    Say you have two conductors and there is a dielectric material between them (a capacitor with a dielectric). The field will the polarize the atoms in the dielectric in such away that the potential difference between the two conductors is weakened. Thus a capacitor with a dielectric between it's...
  38. B

    Material that has characteristics of soil

    Hello :) I am a student searching for a way to preserve raw food without a fridge for an assignment. Thinking about the method in which you wrap your food and bury it to keep it fresh, I wondered if there is some material that resembles the characteristics of soil. Have you came across...
  39. O

    Coaxial coils in dielectric material

    Hi everyone I have a problem to solve, I already simulated it with FEMM, but I wonder if it is possible to find an analytical solution. Let's say that there's a small coil (100 turns) around a pipe (2in diameter), the pipe is filled with air. This pipe is located inside a bigger pipe...
  40. Topher925

    Need a rigid insulation material?

    Need a rigid insulation material? I have a project that requires insulation sheets that are rigid and difficult to compress, about 1/8" thick. I was thinking about some type of ceramic material but can't find anything in that thickness. I'm not looking for some type of exotic material, just...
  41. PhizKid

    Is it normal to forget most previously learned material?

    Every semester, whenever I begin to learn a new subject, that is, a more advanced class of the previous subject (i.e. algebra -> pre-calc -> calc -> diff eq, etc.) I forget a lot of the stuff I learned in the previous class when I'm learning the new content and constantly have to review all the...
  42. J

    Temperature of Material Under Compression

    Homework Statement This is one of the questions in my materials engineering assignment. 1. Thermal shock is the focus of this problem. Note that the resistance to thermal shock of a material, “R”, is defined here as the temperature change required causing fracture: (σc*λ*(1-v))/(α*E) Where...
  43. I

    Light transmitting material with LEDs: Advice needed

    Hi, this is my first post here on the forum although I've been following some other threads recently. I'm currently working on a thesis project with a colleague of mine in which we are engineering a night time pacifier. We are at the moment trying to find a way to make the shield of the...
  44. 0

    Can I Learn and Understand Physics Without a Formal Education?

    My purpose is to learn physics, chemistry and biology.I don't want to have a PhD level knowledge in 3 days, but I do want to have a better understanding of how the world works and be able to do things myself.Not in 3 days of course, but I like short(depending on subject) and clear explanations...
  45. J

    Optimal electromagnet bobbin material

    I can't seem to find any answers on this...I'm experimenting with some electromagnet designs, but I'm not sure what the best bobbin, or end caps would be. I was thinking about using steel washers welded to the iron core since it would be the strongest, but I thought that may affect the EM field...
  46. D

    Is there a way to make a disappearing design on concrete or pavement?

    Hey all, I work in advertising and marketing, so I'm not sure if this is the right place to ask. I have an idea, but I have no idea if it's feasible, and I figure that this might be the best place to ask. I'm looking to 'paint' something on concrete or pavement (like a parking lot) that...
  47. A

    Fermi Vector in Ferromagnetic Material

    Homework Statement Consider an electron gas of density n_{0} in three dimensions that is completely ferromagnetic: all electron spins point in the same direction. Derive: a) The Fermi wave vector in terms of n_{0}. b) The parameter r as the radius in atomic unites that encloses one unit of...
  48. 1

    More old material planes, normal and parallel vectors

    Homework Statement Consider z = -3x - y + 11 Find a unit vector perpendicular to the plane, and find a vector parallel to the plane. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution 1.) 0 = -3x - y + 11 - z -11 = - 3x - y - z Perpendicular vector is then: -3i -j -k...
  49. F

    Mechanics of material shaft coupling

    A shaft of a total length L, connected via coupling C to the engine on the left-hand side, transfers the power P while rotating with n revolutions per second. A gear with pitch diameter D1 and thickness t1attached to the shaft at the distance Lg from the coupling C is in mesh with the driven...
  50. M

    Energy Band structure in Noncrystalline material

    In crystalline material, bands arise due to the interaction of electron waves with periodic potentials. Can anyone please explain the origin of energy bands in non-crystalline material..couldn't find relevant links on Google.
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