Pure copper is soft. Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc, and it is harder than pure copper.
Describe the arrangement of atoms in a piece of pure copper.
Explain why pure copper is soft and easy to bend.
Explain why brass is harder than pure copper.
An engineer measures the hardness of samples of brass containing different percentages of zinc.
| Percentage of zinc (%) | Hardness / arbitrary units |
|---|---|
| 0 | 40 |
| 10 | 55 |
| 20 | 70 |
| 30 | 85 |
| 40 | 95 |
Describe the relationship between the percentage of zinc and the hardness.
Calculate the percentage increase in hardness when the percentage of zinc increases from 0 % to 30 %. Use the equation: percentage increase=increase in hardnessoriginal hardness×100\displaystyle \text{percentage increase} = \frac{\text{increase in hardness}}{\text{original hardness}} \times 100percentage increase=original hardnessincrease in hardness×100. Give your answer to three significant figures.
Brass is used to make door handles. Give one property of brass, other than hardness, that makes it suitable for this use.
42 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Chemistry 6.1 Transition metals, alloys and corrosion, covering 6.1.1 Properties of transition metals, 6.1.2 Corrosion and its prevention, and 6.1.3 Alloys and the uses of metals. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.