MTN 104: Structural Metallurgy

Tutorial 1: Atomic Structure

1. Aluminium foil used for storing food weighs about 5 g/m2. How many atoms of
aluminium are contained in this sample of foil?

2. In order to plate a steel part having a surface area of 0.13 m2 with a 0.05 mm thick
layer of nickel: (a) How many atoms of nickel are required? (b) How many moles of
nickel are required?

3. Indium, which has an atomic number of 49, contains no electrons in its 4f energy
levels. Based on this information, what must be the valence of Indium?

4. Increasing the temperature of a semiconductor breaks covalent bonds. For each

broken bond, two electrons become free to move and transfer electrical charge. What
fraction of the total valance electrons are free to move and what fraction of the
covalent bonds must be broken in order that 5×1015 electrons conduct electrical
charge in 50 g of silicon?

5. The compound AlP is a compound semi-conducting material having mixed ionic an

covalent bonding. Calculate the fraction of the bonding that is ionic.

6. Plot the melting temperatures of elements in the IVB to VIIIB columns of the
periodic table versus atomic number (that is, plot Ti through Ni; Zr through Pd; Hf
through Pt). Discus these relationships, based on atomic bonding and binding energy:
a. As the atomic number increases in each row
b. As the atomic number increases in each column of the periodic table.

7. Beryllium and Magnesium, both in the 2A column, are light weight metals. Which
would you expect to have the higher modulus of elasticity? Explain considering
binding energy and atomic radii, and appropriate sketches of forces versus inter-
atomic spacing.

8. Boron has a much lower coefficient of thermal expansion than aluminium, even
though both are in the IIIA column. Explain based on binding energy, atomic size,
and the energy well, why this difference is expected?

9. Explain why the modulus of elasticity of simple thermoplastic polymers, such as

polyethylene, is expected to be very low compared with that of metals and ceramics.

10. Steel is coated with a thin layer of ceramic to help protect against corrosion. What do
you expect to happen to the coating when the temperature of the steel is increased
significantly? Explain.