Testing material properties and comparing fuels
Integrated ScienceMatter & MaterialsAges 11–12Virtual lab
Use it with your class: students open it from a link or a QR code, with no account needed.
Next in Matter & Materials
Pick a material (copper, aluminum, steel, plastic, glass, wood, rubber) and run a test: wire it into a circuit to check for electrical conductivity, heat one end of a rod to see how fast heat travels along it, scratch it with a steel point to compare hardness, or leave it somewhere damp to see if it rusts. The summary table on the right fills in the results and suggests everyday items made from that material. Switch to fuel mode to burn 1 kg of firewood, coal, alcohol, kerosene, gasoline or LPG: the simulation works out the heat released Q = m·q, how many liters of water it can boil, and how much CO₂ is released.
Lesson: Common materials and fuels
What it shows
Materials are chosen for the properties a job needs. Metals such as copper and aluminium conduct electricity and heat well, which suits wires and cooking pots, while plastic, rubber, glass and wood are electrical insulators and poor heat conductors, which suits handles and cable coatings. Hardness can be compared on the Mohs scale by scratching with a steel point, and steel rusts in damp air unless it is protected. For fuels, the calorific value q is the energy released per kilogram burned, so the heat released is Q = m·q; fossil fuels release a lot of energy but also CO₂.
How to use
In Test material properties mode, pick a Material to test and a Test, then press Run test and watch the bulb, the melting wax, the scratch or the rust. Tap rows in the summary table to switch materials and fill in all four columns, then discuss which everyday objects each material suits. Switch to Burn fuel, compare calorific value, choose a Fuel to burn and a Mass of fuel burned, and compare the heat released, the litres of water boiled and the CO₂ produced.
Parameters you can change
- Content Test material properties, Burn fuel, compare calorific value
- Material to test Copper, Aluminum, Steel (iron), Plastic, Glass, Wood, Rubber
- Test Electrical conductivity (wire into a circuit with a bulb), Thermal conductivity (heat one end of a rod), Hardness (scratch with a steel point), Rusting / damage in damp conditions
- Fuel to burn Dry firewood (q = 10 MJ/kg), Coal (q = 27 MJ/kg), Alcohol, ethanol (q = 27 MJ/kg), Kerosene (q = 44 MJ/kg), Gasoline (q = 46 MJ/kg), LPG (q = 46 MJ/kg)
- Mass of fuel burned 0.5–5 kg
Questions to explore
- Why are saucepan handles usually made of plastic or wood rather than metal?
- Which fuel in the simulation releases the most heat per kilogram, and which releases the least?
- Besides calorific value, what other criteria should you consider when choosing a fuel?
