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Material Properties Investigation

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Material Properties Investigation

A coastal community in Aotearoa is designing a reusable lunch container for tramping trips. Use the investigation results and your science knowledge to decide which materials suit different jobs. For any practical work, use teacher-approved samples, wear safety glasses, and never test mains electricity or taste materials.

Plan a fair investigation

Use these standardised results from equal-sized samples. Hardness is measured by scratch resistance; flexibility by bending without breaking; conductivity by whether a low-voltage bulb lights. Results can vary with the exact alloy, plastic and wood used.

Sample

Scratch resistance

Bending response

Low-voltage circuit

Metal strip

High

Bends a little; springs back

Bulb lights

Plastic sheet

Low

Bends; stays bent

Bulb stays off

Rubber strip

Low

Stretches or bends; returns close to shape

Bulb stays off

Wood block

Medium

Rigid; may crack if forced

Bulb stays off

Glass slide

High

Rigid; brittle

Bulb stays off

1.Which statement best explains why comparing equal-sized samples and using the same test method matters?

It controls variables so differences are more likely to come from the material rather than the test.
It guarantees every material will have identical properties.
It changes a physical property into a chemical property.
It removes the need to repeat measurements.

2.Name two variables that should be kept the same when comparing how easily these samples bend. Explain how changing either variable could affect the result.

Read the evidence

A material's physical properties can usually be observed or measured without making a new substance. Chemical properties describe how it can react to form new substances.

3.Which result from the investigation is evidence of electrical conductivity?

The metal sample makes the low-voltage bulb light.
The glass sample is scratch-resistant.
The rubber sample returns close to its original shape.
The wood sample is rigid.

4.For each statement, write physical or chemical: (a) aluminium is shiny; (b) iron can react with oxygen and water to form rust; (c) rubber stretches; (d) a metal reacts with acid and releases gas.

5.The bulb stayed off for plastic, rubber, wood and glass. Is it justified to conclude that all four substances are electrical insulators in every situation? Explain one limitation of this test.

Make a materials recommendation

The design team needs three different parts: a tough outer shell, a flexible seal, and a safe insulating grip near an electrical device. Choose from the tested materials and justify your decisions using evidence.

6.Select the strongest evidence-based recommendation for the flexible seal.

Rubber, because it stretches or bends and returns close to its shape.
Glass, because it has high scratch resistance.
Wood, because it is rigid.
Metal, because its bulb lit in the circuit.

7.Recommend one tested material for the tough outer shell. Support your choice with a result from the table, and mention a possible drawback or extra property the team should test.

8.The team suggests rubber for the insulating grip. Use the investigation evidence to assess this choice, and state one safety precaution that still matters.

9.Design a follow-up test of water resistance for the proposed container materials. State what you would measure, one variable to control, and how you would make the comparison reliable.