A metal spacer in an industrial oven reaches a temperature of 300 °C and is compressed by a load. The spacer must remain solid and resist being dented.
Equal-sized samples of iron and sodium were pressed with the same force, and the depth of the dent made in each was measured.
| Metal | Depth of indentation in mm | Melting point in °C |
|---|---|---|
| Iron | 0.18 | 1538 |
| Sodium | 2.40 | 98 |
Use the data to explain which metal should be used for the spacer.
91 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Chemistry 1.3 Properties of transition metals, covering 1.3.1 Comparison with Group 1 elements and 1.3.2 Typical properties of transition metals. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.