UNIT 1MATERIALS

Match these substances with their corresponding descriptions:

1 / aluminium / c / Light to carry and silvery to look at.
2 / brass / v / Mixture of copper and zinc. (ALLOY)
3 / bronze / u / Mixture of copper and tin.
4 / Calcium / h / Soft, white material found in bones and teeth.
5 / carbon dioxide / j / Gas breathed out of the lungs.
6 / chlorine / p / Greenish, yellow poisonous gas used to disinfect water.
7 / chromium / q / Hard, shiny metal used to coat other metals to prevent rust/corrosion
8 / concrete / o / Building material made by mixing cement and gravel.
9 / copper / s / Soft, reddish-brown metal, used in wires.
10 / gold / k / Precious yellow metal used as international currency.
11 / hydrogen / n / The lightest gas and the simplest element in nature.
12 / iron / g / The most widely/commonly used metal.
13 / Lead /led/ / x / Soft, grey, heavy metal, sometimes added to petrol.
14 / mercury / f / Heavy, silvery metal, usually a liquid at room temperature.
15 / nitrogen / r / 80% of the air.
16 / oxygen / w / Colourless and tasteless gas supporting life.
17 / phosphate / e / Chemical compound that contains phosphorous used in fertilisers
18 / sodium chloride / t / Commonly known as salt.
19 / Steel / l / Iron plus carbon.
20 / Sulphur / i / Light-yellow substance used in matches and gunpowder.
21 / Tin / m / A can is made of it and its symbol is Sn.
22 / Uranium / d / Heavy, white metal whose atoms can be fissioned.
23 / Xenon / a / A gas heavier than air.
24 / zinc / b / Hard, bluish-white metal used in alloys and in roofing.

EXERCISE Match these substances with their corresponding chemical symbols:

aluminium / Al
calcium / Ca
carbon dioxide / CO2
chlorine / Cl
chromium / Cr
copper / Cu
gold / Au
helium / He
hydrogen / H
iron / Fe
lead / Pb
magnesium / Mg
mercury / Hg
nitrogen / N
oxygen / O
fluorine / F
silver / Ag
sodium chloride / NaCl
Sulphur/sulfur / S
platinum / Pt
plutonium / Pu
potassium / K
silicon / Si
tin / Sn
zinc / Zn
  • Nylon is a synthetic fiber
  • Wax is a substance secreted by bees, commonly used for making candles
  • Petrol is a liquid used in engines to produce energy (a fuel), made from oil (petroleum)
  • Plastics are polymers
  • Ozone is a gas to protect the earth from the sun’s radiation
  • Wood is a natural material, extracted from trees
  • Silicon is a semiconductor, used in electronics.
  • Natural gas is used for home consumption
  • Graphite: a soft black lustrous form of carbon that conducts electricity and is used in lead pencils and electrolytic anodes, as a lubricant, and as a moderator in nuclear reactors
  • Carbon monoxide:a colorless odorless very toxic gas CO that burns to carbon dioxide with a blue flame and is formed as a product of the incomplete combustion of carbon.
  • Petrol: : a volatile flammable liquid hydrocarbon mixture used as a fuel especially for internal combustion engines and usually blended from several products of natural gas and petroleum
  • Ceramics
  • Wood: : the hard fibrous substance consisting basically of xylem that makes up the greater part of the stems, branches, and roots of trees or shrubs beneath the bark and is found to a limited extent in herbaceous plants b : wood suitable or prepared for some use (as burning or building)
  • Plastics: a plastic substance; specifically : any of numerous organic synthetic or processed materials that are mostly thermoplastic or thermosetting polymers of high molecular weight and that can be made into objects, films, or filaments
  • Ozone: a triatomic very reactive form of oxygen that is a bluish irritating gas of pungent odor, that is formed naturally in the atmosphere by a photochemical reaction and is a major air pollutant in the lower atmosphere but a beneficial component of the upper atmosphere, and that is used for oxidizing, bleaching, disinfecting, and deodorizing
  • Wax: a substance that is secreted by bees and is used by them for constructing the honeycomb, that is a dull yellow solid plastic when warm, and that is composed of a mixture of esters, cerotic acid, and hydrocarbons -- called also beeswax
  • Silicon a tetravalent nonmetallic element that occurs combined as the most abundant element next to oxygen in the earth's crust and is used especially in alloys and electronic devices
  • Carbon : a nonmetallic chiefly tetravalent element found native (as in the diamond and graphite) or as a constituent of coal, petroleum, and asphalt, of limestone and other carbonates, and of organic compounds or obtained artificially in varying degrees of purity especially as carbon black, lampblack, activated carbon, charcoal, and coke
  • Natural Gas: gas issuing from the earth's crust through natural openings or bored wells; especially : a combustible mixture of methane and higher hydrocarbons used chiefly as a fuel and raw material
  • Nylon : any of numerous strong tough elastic synthetic polyamide materials that are fashioned into fibers, filaments, bristles, or sheets and used especially in textiles and plastics

LISTENING

Beryllium, attractive foraircraftconstructionbecause of ITSLIGHTNESSand stiffness, is TOXICand costs AS MUCH AS $1600a pound.

Magnesium offers THE GREATEST STRENGTHfor weight among metals but readily CORRODES.

Wonder metal of rocketry and jet ENGINES, titanium occurs also inCERAMICSand metal-matrix composites.

HARD AND CORROSION RESISTANT, CHROMIUMprotectively platesother metals and is alloyed with IRONANDNICKELto form STAINLESSSTEEL.

IRON, principal ingredient ofSTEEL, is the workhorse metal of the INDUSTRIALWORLD.

NICKELis alloyed with steel to give IMPACT RESISTANCE.

Renowned for ITS CONDUCTIVITY OF ELECTRICITY AND HEAT, COPPER also is a vital ingredient ofMOST HIGH TEMPERATURE SUPERCONDUCTORS.

SILICON, the stuff of ELECTRONIC CHIPS, reacts with CARBONto form A HARDCERAMICand a ceramic fiber used in COMPOSITES. It is a component of springy silicone elastomer.

NITROGENATOMSgo into nylon and other POLYMERSand can give HARDNESSTO CERAMICSand METALLICSTRUCTURES.

VIDEO (OU-THE ORIGIN OF THE EARTH)

SECTION 1 : elements found in all stars.

Profile of the abundance of elements found in stars:

-immense amounts of..HYDROGENandHELIUM.

-.LOWER...... amounts(..2%) of the heavier elements

Peaks..CARBON......

...... OXYGEN......

...... MAGNESIUM......

...... SILICON......

...... SULPHUR......

...... IRON......

Process: nuclear fusion

-2...HYDROGEN...... atoms=..HELIUM+ENERGY..->SUNLIGHT

- ..HELIUM + HELIUM...... atoms=...CARBON......

- ..HELIUM + CARBON...... atoms=....OXYGEN......

- ...OXYGEN + HELIUM ...... atoms=.....MAGNESIUM...

Right up to....IRON......

For each of these fusion reactions to occur,INCREASINGTEMPERATUREandPRESSUREare needed

SECTION 2: samples of METEORITES

The Ballwell meteorite fell in 1965.

BROWN METALLICskin due to ATMOSPHERIC HEATING.....

it consists of :SILICATES...... (..GREEN....olivine)

some..METAL (BROWNDISCOLORATIONDUETOOXIDATIONOFIRON)

chondrules

Section of a chondritic meteorite:

chondrules

SILICATES.....(OLIVINE...... )

.DARK...... patches(IRONMETAL...... )

Iron meteorites:

Blades OF IRON-NICKEL ALLOY (IRON WITH A LITTLE NICKEL)

INCLUSIONS OF IRON SULFIDE......

Meteorites contain three principal phases:

1-OLIVINE (MAGNESIUM SILICATES)

2-IRON OFTENWITH A LITTLE NICKEL

3-IRON SULFIDE......

Chondritic meteorites appear to have changed chemically the least since their condensation from the primitive solar nebula. They containHYDROGENandHELIUMbut otherwise their element abundance should be similar to the abundance in the solar spectrum.

SECTION 3: The composition of the earth

Inner core: IRON...... + NICKEL......

Outer core:.IRON...... SULPHUR......

Mantle: MAGNESIUMRICHSILICATES (MAGNESIUM, SILICON, SULPHUR)

READING:PLASTICS

Plastics(1) are organic materials which can be moulded or shaped(2) as required(3). They are synthetic materials(4) and are composed of(5) long chain-like molecules(6)called polymers(7). Each of these polymer molecules is formed by joining(8)together many(9) thousands of small molecules called(10) monomers. The monomer molecule(11) is an arrangement of atoms which can be made(12) to react with similar monomer molecules to form a chain. The reaction is known(13) as polymerization.

The monomers(14) from which plastics are made are generally produced by separation from natural gases or from oil(15). By means of(16) pressure(17) and heat, and often with the aid of catalysts(18), the monomer molecules react and form polymer molecules, and by careful(19) control of the polymerization, the monomer molecules may be arranged(20), obtaining the required properties

Now answer the following questions using the information from the reading above.

Shape= external appearance

1.Is the word plastics countable or uncountable? Is it used in this sentence in a general or a specific sense?Uncountableandgeneral

2.shaped = give a synonym or explain the meaning of this verb. Given a shape, to give a specific external appearance

3.required = Give a synonym wanted, needed, necessary

4.What is a “synthetic material”? a material (that is) not found in nature in pure state, man made

5.are composed of = Give a different expression consist of, are made (up) of,

6.long chain-like molecules = Translate this into Spanishmoleculaslineales

7.What does the prefix "poly" suggest to you?Many

8.What does the structure BY+ -ING express: CAUSE, EFFECT, PURPOSE or METHOD?method

9.many is the adjective of quantity for countable or uncountable nouns?Countable

10.called is a shortened relative clause, can you give the complete sentence?

Which/that are called

11.Is the word molecule countable or uncountable?. Is it used in a general or specific sense?Countable-specific

12.made is the Past Participle of the verb .make...... The past tense is …made…….

13.known is the Past Participle of the verb .know.... The past tense is …knew…….

14.Is the word monomers used in a general or a specific sense?specific

15.What is oil?Naturalsubstance, veryexpensive, usedformakingplastics, petrolandmanyothers= petroleum it’s a fossil fuel

16.Translate the expression by means of-por medio de

17.pressure is a noun formed from which other word?To press(v) – press(n)

18.What is a catalyst?an element that/which speeds up a reaction/makes a reaction faster

19.careful is an adjective formed from which other word?Noun – care verb-to care≠careless painful≠painless full

20.What do you understand by may be arranged?

May be organised,displayed

Undergo-underwent-undergone

Withstand-withstood

Understand-understood

Become-became-become

GRAMMAR: ARTICLES

The use of the article depends on the kind of statement and on whether the noun is countable or uncountable.

TYPE OF NOUN / GENERAL STATEMENT / SPECIFIC STATEMENT
Countable nouns
- Singular / A/THE / A/THE
A generator is a device to produce electricity
The atom consists of different subatomic particles / Power plants need a generator to produce electricity
Bring me the calculator
- Plural / NO ARTICLE / THE (SOME)
Transformers are used to change voltage / The monomers used in plastics come from oil
Uncountable noun
-Only singular / NO ARTICLE / THE (SOME)
Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon / Don´t drink the water in the bottle
Add (some) water
REMEMBER: pages, chapters, figures, etc. DO NOT use an article (e.g. = The results are shown in Figure 3)
It is very common (recommended) to use a POSSESSIVE adjective (ITS/THEIR) instead of the DEFINITE article. eg= Materials can be classified depending on THEIR conductivity

DESCRIBING an object

Definition: / X is GENERAL CLASS: /

Lead is a heavy metal

A relay is a switching device
Composition: / It is made (up) of / Materials
It consists OF
IN+ ING (procedure) / Substances
Steel consists OF iron and carbon
Alloying consists IN MIXING…
It has / Components

It is composed of

/ Parts
Pieces
Characteristics: / to be / Shape (circular, elliptical)
To look / Properties (flexible, tough)
To seem +ADJ / Colour(blue. greenish)
To become
Turn/convert INTO / Texture (hard, smooth)
Temperature (warm, cold)
To have+ NOUN
Dimensions: / General dimensions (thin, long, small)
Measurements: / X is 3m + ADJ (long)
X is 3m + in + NOUN (in length)
X has a + NOUN + OF 3 m (X has a length of 3m)
The + NOUN + OF 3m (The length of X is 3m)
Applications: / X is used for (+GER) / to (+INF)
Petrol is widely/commonly/frequently/often used as a fuel for cars
X serves to (+INF)
X is used in/as a(n) (+NOUN)
Note: The present simple tense is used most frequently when describing, because descriptions in science are usually universals. The most commonly used verbs are TO BE and TO HAVE.
  1. Add the appropriate article or possessive adjective for each of these sentences.
  1. ...Ø... petrol is used as ..a. fuel in .. Ø.. combustion engines.
  2. .... Ø...corrosion is ...a...very serious problem in Ø. metallic structures.
  3. .. Ø..iron is used in ... Ø. engineering due to ...its..... strength.
  4. She works as ..an.. assistant technician for .. Ø.. General Motors.
  5. ....the.. physical properties of .... Ø. matter will be studied in Ø chapter 3.
  6. There are many energy sources, like... Ø.... oil or .. Ø.... coal.
  7. Ø fission is one of the. two types of ... Ø.... nuclear reactions which release. Ø.. large amounts of. Ø energy. ..the.fission of .... Ø.. Uranium atoms is used in Ø nuclear power plants to generate Ø electricity.
  8. ...the/a major component of ... Ø.... steel is Ø iron, .a. metal that in .... Ø/its... pure state is not much harder than .. Ø.... copper.
  9. ....the/a... generator is ...a... machine which produces electricity.
  10. .Ø silicon is used as ..a. semiconductor in .....the. manufacture of Ø chips.
  11. ... Ø..... plastics may be classified into ... Ø/two.. major groups according to ...their/ Ø.. chemical composition.
  12. ... Ø..... mathematics is basic for ...an.... engineer.
  13. .. an.. alloy is … a... metallic substance composed of two or more elements as either .... a.... compound or … a..... solution.
  14. In ... Ø.... Kevlar, ....an... artificial fiber, …. Ø/the. molecules lie straight, giving it .... Ø/its. strength and .... Ø/its.. stiffness

B. Read this description of MERCURY and decide which, if any, article to use.

___Ø__ mercury is ___the__ chemical element whose symbol is Hg. It is __a__ silvery-white, heavy, liquid metal. Compared with other metals, it is __a___ poor conductor of __Ø___ heat and __a___ fair conductor of __Ø___ electricity. ___Ø__ mercury is ___the__ only common metal that is __Ø/a__ liquid at __Øordinary temperatures. It easily forms __Ø___ alloys with many other metals. When it combines with certain metals (such as __Ø__ silver, ___Ø_ zinc or ___Ø____ tin) _the___ resulting alloy is called __an/ Ø__ amalgam. Both __the element and __Ø___ most of ____its_ compounds are poisonous. _Ø____ mercury and ____ its__ compounds are used in _Ø____ electrolytic cells, __Ø___ dentistry, __Ø___ thermometers, ___Ø__ switches, __Ø___ mercury-vapor lamps, ___Ø__ paint, __Ø___ batteries, __Ø___ explosive detonators, and in _Ø____ medicine.

VOCABULARY: ADJECTIVES

When describing, one of the most usual word classes employed in descriptions is adjectives.

Look at the following characteristics and classify them using the categories given below.

huge coolrectangularstraighticy

roughtinylightbrightminute

boilingfreezinghardsmoothwooden

cylindricalmetallicdarklargeplastic

squaresoftwarmburningopaque

stickyfadedbroadroundedsharp

ferrousshortsyntheticwoollenreddish

TEMPERATURE / TEXTURE / SHAPE
Boiling ≠ freezing / Rough ≠ smooth / Sharp ≠ blunt
Cool ≠ warm / Soft ≠ hard / Cylindrical
Hot ≠ cold / Sticky / Square
Burning / coarse≠fine / rectangular
Icy / Straight ≠ curved
rounded
COMPOSITION / SIZE / COLOUR
Ferrous ≠ non-ferrous / Huge =enormous / Faded ≠ bright
metallic / Tiny =minute / Light ≠ dark
Synthetic ≠ natural / Short ≠long / Opaque ≠ transparent
woollen / Broad ≠ narrow
(wide≠) / reddish
wooden / Large = big ≠ small
plastic

LISTENING

METALS AND NON METALS

Complete the text with the word(s) or expressions you hear.

The most commonly used metal in industry is IRON. Its symbol is Fe, its atomic weight 55.19 and its specific weight is 7.86 GR/CM3. Its melting point is 1528ºC; this is a metal which is magnetized quite strongly but above 768ºCit cannot be magnetized.

Another metal of a great importance in engineering is ALUMINIUM, with an atomic weight of 26.97, a specific weight of 2.7 GR/CM3 and its melting point is 658ºC

Among metals, LEAD is the metal which possesses the highest density, with an atomic weight of 207.22 and a specific weight of 11.34 GR/CM3; contrarily to other metals, however, its melting point is relatively low as it melts at 327ºC.

However not all metals have the same characteristics; as an example we have MERCURY which is A LIQUID at room temperature; thus, the temperature at which this metal changes from liquid to solid is –38.9ºC and its boiling point is 357.2ºC.

Non-metals, on the other hand, vary greatly with regard to their characteristics. For example, CHLORINE has a specific weight of 0.0032 GR/CM3 and its boiling point is –33.7ºC. However, SILICON, whose specific weight is 2.33, melts at 1.310ºC and boils at 2.355ºC.

WORD FORMATION

When describing it is very common to use adjectives. That is why it is important to know how to form adjectives from other word classes. Here are examples of some of the most important SUFFIXES.

ADJECTIVES FROM NOUNS

LATIN ORIGIN OR ROOT

/ ENGLISH ORIGIN OR ROOT
-IC / Atomic / -FUL / beautiful
-AL/ AR / usual / linear / -LESS / harmless
-OUS / poisonous / lustrous / -(L)Y / Sunny, friendly
-ISH / yellowish
ADJECTIVES FROM VERBS
-ING / Shining, concentrating, interesting, boring
-ED / Concentrated, interested, bored
ADJECTIVES FROM VERBS OR NOUNS (usually from a Latin origin)
-IBLE / -ABLE / terrible / drinkable
-ENT / -ANT / different / important
-IVE / massive

EXERCISES

  1. Write down examples for each of the suffixes given.

-lC______-FUL ______

-AL/-AR______-LESS ______

-OUS______-(L)Y ______

-IBLE / -ABLE______

-ENT / -ANT______

-IVE______

2.Form adjectives as shown above from the following words.

Periodiclmpressive/ingSymmetric

DangerousEat edibleHazardous

Harmful/lessPainful/lessHomeless

3. Now, read this text and underline all those adjectives or adverbs which use one of these suffixes in their formation.

TIN

Tin (1) is a pure element belonging to the carbon group (2). It is a soft, silvery-white metal with a bluish aspect (3), known (4) to the ancients as bronze, an alloy with copper. Tin is widely used for plating steel cans (5) used as food containers, in metals used for bearings and in solder.

Tin is non-toxic, ductile (6), malleable and adapted to all kinds of cold-working such as rolling, spinning and extrusion. The colour of pure tin is retained during exposure (7) because a thin invisible, protective layer (8) of tin oxide is formed by reaction with the oxygen of the air. The low melting point (9) of tin and its firm adhesion to clean surfaces facilitate its use as an oxidation-resistant coating material (10).

As (11) tin is fairly weak (12), it is not used in structures unless alloyed with other metals; yet (13) it has become a very common metal in alloys for industry.

Source: Britannica Encyclopaedia.

QUESTIONS

1-What is the symbol for tin?Sn

2-Translate the sentence BELONGING TO THE CARBON GROUP

Perteneciente al grupo del carbono

3-BLUISH ASPECT in Spanish is …….

Aspecto azulado

4-KNOWN: this is a shortened relative clause. Give the complete relative clause

That/which is known

5-Translate the sentence TIN ...... CANSwidely/commonly/often/frequently used

El estaño se utiliza/usa mucho para platear/chapar/cromar latas de acero

6-Explain this property in English

That can be stretched into coils/wires

7-EXPOSURE: translate into Spanish. What is the word formation of this word?

Exposicion. To expose + ure, verb+ure=noun

Maintenance = verb+ance=noun, to maintain + ance

8-Translate into Spanish BECAUSE ...... LAYER (coat, film)

Porque una capa protectora fina e invisible

9-Explain in English LOW MELTING POINT

The temperature at which a/this substance melts is relatively low

10-Translate AN OXIDATION-RESISTANT COATING MATERIAL