Alloy

Key Stage 3

Meaning

An alloy is a metal with one or more other elements mixed with it, usually other metal elements.

About Alloys

Adding different elements to a metal to make an alloy can change the properties of that metal.

Examples

Bronze was one of the first alloys ever made and is made from around 88% Copper and 12% Tin.	Brass is a very strong alloy made form a mixture of Copper and Zinc.	Steel is an alloy of around 98% Iron and 2% Carbon.

Key Stage 4

Meaning

An alloy is a mixture of a metal and one or more other elements, usually other metal elements.

About Alloys

Adding different elements to a metal to make an alloy can change the physical and chemical properties.

Alloys are made to change the properties of a metal to make it more useful for certain applications.

Examples

Metals	Properties	Applications
88% Copper + Tin (Bronze)	Resistant to corrosion Harder than Copper.	Statues and ornaments.
Copper + Zinc (Brass)	Resistant to corrosion Harder than Copper. Malleable enough to hammer into shape.	Pins in electrical plugs, keys, taps, door handles.
Gold + Copper	Harder than pure Gold	Jewelry
98% Iron + Carbon (Steel)	Much harder than pure Iron. Malleable enough to be hammered into shape.	Car bodies, bridges, cables, girders.
85% Iron + 11% Chromium + Nickel + Carbon (Stainless Steel)	Much harder than pure Iron. Resistant to corrosion.	Cutlery, reaction vessels

References

AQA

Alloys, page 120, GCSE Combined Science; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA'

Alloys, page 162, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 1, Hodder, AQA'

Alloys, page 266, GCSE Chemistry; Student Book, Collins, AQA'

Alloys, page 91, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy; Chemistry, CGP, AQA'

Alloys, pages 156, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA'

Alloys, pages 35, 97, GCSE Chemistry; The Revision Guide, CGP, AQA'

Alloys, pages 46, 204, 257-8, GCSE Chemistry, Hodder, AQA'

Alloys, pages 54-55, 222-223, GCSE Chemistry; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA'

Alloys, pages 93, 285, 286, GCSE Chemistry, CGP, AQA'