The hulls of some high-performance racing kayaks are constructed from modern composite materials, whereas traditional models are built using Western Red Cedar wood.
The table below contains information about a glass fibre composite and Western Red Cedar wood:
| Property | Glass fibre composite | Western Red Cedar wood |
|---|---|---|
| Relative strength | 1200 | 45 |
| Relative cost | High | Low |
| Density in kg/m3\text{kg/m}^3kg/m3 | 1900 | 380 |
| Disposal at end of life | Difficult to recycle | Biodegradable / can be burned |
Glass fibre composite consists of thin glass fibres embedded within a polymer resin matrix.
What type of material is glass fibre composite?
Calculate the volume of Western Red Cedar wood required to build a kayak hull of mass 5.70 kg5.70\text{ kg}5.70 kg.
Use the table and the equation:
Density=MassVolume \text{Density} = \frac{\text{Mass}}{\text{Volume}} Density=VolumeMass18 exam-style questions on AQA GCSE Chemistry 10.3 Using materials, covering 10.3.1 Corrosion and its prevention, 10.3.2 Alloys as useful materials, and 10.3.3 Ceramics, polymers and composites. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.