Lesson 1:
Classification of materials
a) Metals
Metals are a group of materials that share several properties: they are shiny and good electrical and thermal conductors*. As it is shown in the image on the right, the atoms of a metal are very well ordered.
*We will see what it means later.
Some typical applications of metals are:
Cans 
Furniture 
Jewelry
Vehicle bodies 
Electrical wires 
Beams
b) Plastics
Plastics are materials that can easily change its shape. That’s the reason why they are so widely used for making all kinds of objects. Plastics are made of long chains called polymers which are formed by hundreds or thousands of small particles called monomers.
Some objects that are typically made of plastics are:
Bottles 
Bags 
Packing
Water pipes 
Plastic wrap 
Tupperwares
c) Textiles
Textiles are materials consisting of a network of natural or artificial fibers. Fabric and clothes are synonyms for textiles.
Some typical applications of textiles are:
T-shirts 
Carpets, furniture, curtains… 
jackets and coats
Thermal insulators 
Sweaters 
Vehicle bodies
d) Woods
Wood is a material with a fibrous structure that is found in the trunk and branches of trees and bushes. Wood fibers are made of a substance called cellulose.
Wood is used in a variety of situations such as…
Houses and huts 
Tables 
Ornaments
Roofs 
Furniture 
Shelves
e) Stones
Stone materials are those that are extracted from rocks that can be found in nature. They are mainly used in construction.
Kitchen countertops 
Floors and stairs 
Sculptures
Structures 
Pavements 
Roofs
f) Ceramics
Ceramics are a group of hard and heat resistant materials that a made by shaping and then heating a material such as clay, together with other substances, at high temperatures.
As is with stones, this kind of materials is mainly used in construction:
Brick walls 
Tiles 
Containers
Pavements 
Tableware 
Roofs
Glass can also be considered a special type of ceramic material:
Glass jars 
Windows 
Glass blocks walls