9 PROPERTIES OF MATTER AND MATERIALS e
The properties of materials
~
·.
4 Look at the surfaces of the
materials around you . Which
are shiny, dull, rough or
smooth?
5 What would happen to the
castle in Figure 9.13 if the
rocks suddenly lost their
rigidity?
6 Is the shell of a hen's egg as
brittle as the shell of a duck or
goose egg? What investigation
could you make to find out?
.. Figure 9.11 This castle in Aragon, Spain, was built of rock
hundreds of years ago.
There are a number of properties that materials may have.
Here is a list of these properties, with some examples of
materials that possess them.
• Surface appearance. Shiny, dull, rough or smooth.
• Rigid. A rigid material cannot be bent or squashed.
Rock has been used as building material from early
times because it is rigid.
• Flexible. A flexible material can be bent or squashed
but when the pushing or pulling force is removed
it springs back to its original shape. Flexible pieces
of wood have been used for thousands of years for
hunting bows and are still used today in some parts of
the world (Figure B, page 11) .
• Hard or soft. Most materials have a hard surface,
which can be due to them being rigid. Materials such as
sponge feel soft because of their flexibility.
• Malleable. A malleable material can be shaped by
hammering or by pressing, without the material
cracking. It stays in the shape after the shaping process
has ended. Metals such as gold , silver and copper are
malleable. They can be made into wires, and bent co
form jewellery such as necklaces, bangles and earrings .
• Brittle. A brittle material breaks suddenly if it is bent or
hit. You can snap a biscuit or a chocolate bar because it
is brittle.
Figure 9.12 Gold is the most malleable of the metals used to
make jewellery
8
e CHEMISTRY

7 Devise an investigation to • Absorbent. An absorbent material has holes in its

compare the absorbent surface through which water can pass and also has
;
properties of different brands of spaces inside where the water can collect. Absorbent
paper towels. cloths and papers are used to wipe up spills in
kitchens and laboratories. Some kinds of rocks, such
as sandstone or limestone, are absorbent - there are
gaps, called pores, between the rocky grains and water
can pass through them or fill them up to make an
underground store of water called an aquifer.

Oasis
An oasis is a spring in the desert around which plants grow. It forms because u11der the desert surface there is
a layer of porous rock over the top of a layer of non-porous rock. The two layers stretch back from the desert
under surrounding hills and mountains. When it rains in these places, the water drains into the porous rock but is
prevented from sinking further by the non-porous rock below. The water then moves out along the layer of porous
rock under the desert, forming an aquifer. In a place where the overlying surface is thin, the water may burst
through forming a spring and a pool. The damp soil around the pool provides a habitat for plants, which in turn
provide a habitat for animals.

The upper non-porous

rock layer is often
covered with sand

oasis

2 Wl1y can an oasis be a

non-porous rock
lifesaver to travellers lost in
Figure D How water reaches the desert from the mountains and forms an oasis the desert?
3 Which property does the non-
porous rock have that lets it
stop water passing through it?
Look at the list of properties
on these pages to find out.

4 You are given two

samples of rock from
an oasis. Plan an investigation
to find out which one prevents
water sinking into it and which
one allows water to pass
through it.
Figure E An oasis in the Desert of lea, Peru