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. PhotonSSBM

    A Exploring Dark Matter's Influence on Galaxy Formation

    Arxiv and google searches turn up hundreds of sources on Galaxy formation. I'm specifically looking for good material on how Dark Matter distorts the motions of galaxies from what we'd expect. Currently I've been using a combination of Binney and Tremaine's Galactic Dynamics and whatever...
  2. E

    Manufacturing Help -- Need a highly viscous material

    First time post, I appreciate any advice! I own a small manufacturing company that makes RF connectors and adapters. Our automated machinery makes the connector bodies out of brass, and many of the parts we make have fairly delicate threads or features that are easily damaged when one part...
  3. ScrollPortals

    Barrier to entry for hardware material science experiments?

    I read phys.org and science daily, daily. I read about all these amazing experiments and discoveries and I want to try my own experiments. A lot of articles are about emerging computing technologies, and often the article emphasizes how inexpensive these materials and processes are becoming. I...
  4. E

    Material Science -- using materials without specifying crystal directions

    Why in most practical applications, most materials properties are given without specifying crystal directions. Are they trying to say all materials are isotropic?
  5. wolram

    Is this material a wonder material (Vanadium Dioxide)

    https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/01/170126142816.htm While there are a handful of other materials besides vanadium dioxide that can conduct electricity better than heat, those occur at temperatures hundreds of degrees below zero, making it challenging to develop into real-world...
  6. S

    Estimation of material loss through electrical resistivity

    Hi all, I'm doing a little project about the wear of materials for tools for cutting machines.Yesterday, I was reading wikipedia page about electrical resistivity and I thought if it might be possible to evaluate the estimate the material loss of the tool through the measure of electrical...
  7. G

    Electronically Change Material Refractive Index

    Hi, How do I electronically change material refractive index? Is Kerr effect the right way? Is there any good material that have Kerr effect, that can be used in modern gadgets? Is there any gadget/device that use this kind of material? Thanks:) Regards, Grheee
  8. M

    Material Derivative and Implicitly Given Variables for Velocity Calculation

    Homework Statement Show ##DF/Dt=0##. ##F = x-a-e^b\sin(a+t)## and ##a## is given implicitly as ##y=b-e^b\cos(a+t)## where ##a=f(y,t)## and ##b## is a constant. Also, velocity is $$u=e^b\cos(a+t)\\v=e^b\sin(a+t)$$ Homework Equations ##DF/Dt=F_t+v\cdot\nabla F## The Attempt at a Solution...
  9. Phylosopher

    Two hemispheres, and a shell inside dielectric material

    Hello,I am trying to solve two different questions, and I am having trouble finding the solution: 1- Spherical shell of radius R, have two hemispheres of different charge density. The northerns hemisphere is +σ and the southern hemisphere is -σ. Use direct integration to find V inside and...
  10. electr

    Determine the bulk modulus of the material

    Homework Statement A material is formed into a solid sphere and has a diameter of 100mm when at a pressure of 2MPa. If the diameter of the sphere reduces by 0.1mm when the pressure is increased to 6MPa, determine the bulk modulus of the material Homework Equations K=− Δp/ΔV/V0 (Δp is pressure...
  11. Ryan Walsh

    What is the Lightest and Strongest 3D printing material?

    Looking for Something durable yet Very Light 3D printing material. I googled and Found A product. http://www.mes3dfilaments.co.uk/product/form-futura-carbonfil Carbon Fiber PLA.. Any other suggestions? For application for small wind turbine propellers
  12. Ryan Walsh

    What sort of material stops magnetic flow

    I just want to know what would reduce a magnets strength or stop it with a material over it so that its not magnetic anymore. Is there a material that would not allow two magnets attaching N+P from colliding together and make them not move. 1 More question. Is there a electro magnetic device or...
  13. E

    B Can Hydrogen-Based Plastic Provide Better Radiation Protection than Lead?

    Some days ago, i read, that there is a plastic, that should be capable of protecting from interstellar radiation. I would be interested in further information about this plastic. Someone here who has some material, i could take a look at?
  14. M

    Is teflon a good material for conduction

    I have designed a gangway for a schoolproject, the gangway made in 2 parts the second part can retract in the first part. The total length is 35 meters, I'm looking for aan good way to make the two parts go smooth in an out eacht other. I was looking into Teflon and what i thought it was a...
  15. B

    Non-electrical conductive material for extreme P&T

    Hello! I'm building a thing that needs to survive in extreme conditions. So I'm looking for a non-electrical conductive material that has a yield strength around 1100 MPa at temperature around 200 C. As long as the material is available on the market, cost will not be a problem.
  16. P

    I Force required to indent a volume of material

    Hello folks and happy holidays! So I have a theoretical physics question for everyone, I am simply very interested in this subject and would like to know more about how to find, mathematically speaking the force required to create an indentation of a certain size in an object based on known...
  17. M

    Programs Electronics engineering vs material science engineering?

    which one is more physics based? which one is more prestigious?
  18. I

    Solving Charge Distribution for Spheres with Different Material Properties

    Hey all, So the question in Jackson 1.4 is that I have 3 spheres that all have a total charge Q on them, but each sphere has different material properties. For instance, I have a conducting sphere, a sphere with a uniform charge distribution, and one with a charge distribution that has a...
  19. J

    A Viscous fluid in granular material (DAPL)

    I saw the DAPL news story about the oil pipeline and I realized I have no idea how to analyze the problem of a fluid flowing from a boundary into granular material (or however you would classify soil). Does anyone know of any book or website that discuss the governing (or approximate) equations...
  20. Electron Spin

    Quantum obstacle course changes material from superconductor to insulator

    "a material to conduct an electrical current with zero resistance" ? Is this not ohm's law to a logical extreme?, or am I missing something?
  21. A

    B Material for black hole travel

    So I have been watching COSMOS of late and in the 4th (I think) episode it states the possibility that other universes exist inside of black holes. I am aware of the immense strength of a black hole's gravitational pull so my question is this: Is there a material strong enough to resist it and...
  22. mattyboson12

    Material selection for vehicle leaf spring

    Homework Statement I've gone though a material selection process to pick the optimum material for a rear leaf spring suspension for a vehicle (~700mm long) and I've selected the top 10 materials based on fatigue, fracture, toughness, cost, yield etc: -Stainless steel, martensitic, AISI 440B...
  23. mattyboson12

    Material selection based on either U1 or U2 merit index

    Homework Statement Choose a component based on either U1 or U2 merit index and select what you believe to be the optimum material. Homework Equations U1=(σ)^2/E (Energy density) U2=(σ)^2/(Eρ) (specific energy density) The Attempt at a Solution I was going to use a spring damper from a...
  24. Martin1234

    ANSYS Material Models: Compression vs Tension

    Hello, I am doing a non-linear analysis in ANSYS. I have curve for the strain,stress curve for the material in tension, however, in the problem I'm working on I'm compressing the material. Does anyone know, if ANSYS just mirrors the material curve about origo as I have not given it data for...
  25. Priss80

    ESD compliance for FR4 G10 material

    Good day. I am facing a case where most of the wave pallet top catch using FR4 G10 material tested not compliance to ESD. Can anyone help to confirm whether the G10 material is definitely not ESD? Can you share the product specification for the material with the surface resistance value? Thanks.
  26. I

    Automotive Driveshaft Material for Extreme Torque Applications?

    Ok so I've ran into some issues figuring out what i material i should use as a driveshaft I am not going to give many specs on the engine except 20,000 peak ft-lbs torque. With the transmission in the lowest gear 5:1 and the transfer case in 6:1 the output to the driveshaft is 600,000 ft-lbs of...
  27. G

    I Wavefunction spreading speed in material mediums

    According to theory, after any measurement the wavefunction spreads as a sphere at the speed of light from those last measurement coordinates. Since the speed of light can be slowed down by material mediums and by gravitational space warping, does that imply that the wavefunction in a material...
  28. moenste

    Doped semiconductor material: identify n- p- type

    Homework Statement You are given a small slice of doped semiconductor material but you do not know whether it is n-type or p-type Explain with the aid of a diagram the physical principles of an investigation which would enable you to identify the type. 2. The attempt at a solution I searched...
  29. Irony

    Looking for flexible porous electrically conducting material

    For a research project I'm looking for a material to use as a robust substrate onto which I will apply a polymer. The ideal material would be flexible (or at least not brittle), porous to water and dissolved ions, relatively smooth and uniform (so that an even film of polymer can be cast onto...
  30. L

    Interpret current density in plasma as material property?

    Homework Statement An electromagnetic wave propagates through a gas of N free electrons per unit volume. Neglecting damping, show that the index of refraction is given by n^2 = 1 - \frac{\omega_P^2}{\omega^2}, where the plasma frequency \omega_P = \sqrt{\frac{Ne^2}{\epsilon_0m_e}}.\quad(1)...
  31. massarchi

    A Structure or Material that can withstand a million years on Earth?

    hi, I got inspiration from alien, Prometheus, and knight of Sidonia(Japanimation) in these SIFI contents, I ve seen artificial things that stand quite long time. when it comes to man made structure, material, or method, I wonder is there any chance to survive million year on earth? structure...
  32. M

    Programs Electronics engineering or material science engineering?

    Hello everyone, I'm a sophomore student and I'm a bit confused about deciding my diploma programme. I'm really interested in physics and I don't want to work on a study field which is just full of mechanical things. EE sounds cool because of it's being hard and there are only a few people who...
  33. Z

    Courses My physics 1 & 2 teacher skipped so much material....

    I go to a community college for mechanical engineering and I always thought that physics 1 and 2 were way too easy and that my teacher probably skipped a lot of important material. One of my friends just transferred to a university to major in physics and he's been telling me that we didn't...
  34. Metals

    Difference between Young's Modulus and spring constant?

    I have read that Young's Modulus, like spring constant, is a measure of stiffness (how hard it is to deform a material). Though apparently, Young's Modulus is a way of doing so that applies only to the material and not its shape, where a spring constant value depends on the dimensions of the...
  35. S

    Phase change material steady melt temp, like ice water?

    Ice melting in a box has the water coming off it at a temp just above freezing until all the ice is gone. Are all phase change materials pretty much the same, with their immediate containment container exterior staying pretty much just above their phase change temp until all the PCM inside has...
  36. W

    Is there any smart material that gets lighter/heavier?

    Hi PF, This could possibly be through a change in size or density...Maybe even programmable matter. I've tried some googling but haven't found anything on actually changing the weight through putting a current through something. It would be extremely useful for my personal hobby. Even through a...
  37. Hare Krishna

    Refrigeration with PCM (phase change material)

    Can we really reduce the compressor work by adding phase change material in evaporator. theoretically, it looks that it'll work but still confusion remains...
  38. B

    What Material is Best for a Camera Stabilizer Backpack System?

    I recently built a backpack system for carrying a camera stabilizer. I have two rods that come up out of the backpack and over the shoulders. Wire is attached to the end of the rods, and the camera is hung from the wires. The rods are run up straight out the backpack, but the weight of the...
  39. R

    Resonant frequency of Piezoelectric material

    So i have a piezoelectric film deposited in the metal substrate and i want to determine the resonant frequency. Basically i can determine the resonant frequency base on the dimensions. But i need to proved it using experimental set-up. So i applied AC Voltage to the material then the material...
  40. G

    I Fracture and material strength

    Let's assume I have a large block of crystalline diamond, with reported compressive strength of 110 GPa. If the cross-sectional area of the block is 1 m2, then obviously if I apply a force of 110x10^9 N the material will begin to fracture. But what if the pressure of 110 GPa is applied locally...
  41. H

    Material properties resulting from hexagonal structure

    What are some properties of materials that are related to the fact that the crystal structure of said material is the hexagonal close-packed structure?
  42. wolram

    Copper plating a non metallic material

    I want to copper plate a non metallic material I will be using genuine silver paint to coat the material, my problem is how to estimate the time it takes to deposit a layer 25 thou thick. I have a variable voltage, amperage power supply, i guess it has some thing to do with varying the amperage...
  43. Mohamed_Wael

    Pressure drop doesn't depend on pipe material (laminar flow)

    why does the pressure drop equation derived for the laminar flow has no parameter to indicate the surface roughness of the material of the pipe,unlike the turbulent flow !
  44. M

    Temperature of a radioactive material

    Hi all! I have a certain quantity of a radioactive material (e.g. 1 kg) in the open space. How can I calculate the temperature of this material as a function of time? If it is useful, we can consider a beta decay material. Thanks a lot.
  45. Quentin_alex

    Chemistry Chemistry, material science, and med school

    Hello, I am currently a materials science major going into my junior year. I recently gained interest in medical school (specifically anesthesiology and radiology) However, I do not know if this is going to be the plan yet for me. I am thinking about changing my major to chemistry, so that I...
  46. MickeyBlue

    Material balance with a reaction (chemical engineering)

    Homework Statement Felder & Rousseau 4.73 (p. 184) A mixture of propane and butane is burned with pure oxygen. The combustion products contain 47.4 mole % H2O. After all of the water is removed from the products, the residual gas contains 69.4 mole% CO2 and the balance is O2. What is the mole...
  47. kiwaho

    What material can act as electron sponge?

    We know Earth grounding is huge electron sink. But the Earth is not portable, what material can absorb lots of electron inside or on surface? Maybe the supercapacitors already use it as its cathode? and what material dislike electron and push electron away? thanks
  48. campeola46

    Finding n and p of semiconductor given temp, NA, ND, and Ni

    I'm doing independent study on semiconductors to prepare for a future class and I'm having problems with some problems that concern finding the n and p of doped Silicon given only a temperature, NA, ND, and Ni. I understand that n*p=Ni^2, but, given that this means that n does not equal ND (and...
  49. jormi

    I Small temperature dependence in diamagnetic material

    Hi everybody! I´m chemist doing new materials and my understanding of physics is quite basic. I have a sample (single phase) of Ba and Ge and it shows diamagnetism in the magnetic susceptibility measurement, however it show a small temperature dependent behavior. As far as I understand...
  50. Spinnor

    I Evenly pump a sphere of lasing material

    Qualitatively what is the nature of emitted light if we evenly pump a sphere of lasing material? Suppose there are no mirrors to favor one direction. Does the answer depend at all on the size of the sphere? Thanks!
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