Breaks, bends or neither?

The idea

Materials such as coal and sulfur break into pieces when beaten and are called brittle; wood neither flattens into a sheet nor breaks, so it is neither malleable nor brittle.

Not only metals

In Sudarshan uncle's shop, coal burns in the furnace and wood makes the handles. What would happen if they were put under the hammer?

You hit a lump of coal with a hammer. What do you think happens?

• It flattens into a sheet
• It breaks into pieces
• Nothing happens at all

Hammer time again

Hit each one three times. A piece of copper is there to compare. First guess, then watch.

Brittle

Materials such as coal and sulfur break into pieces when beaten and are called brittle. Wood neither flattens into a sheet nor breaks into pieces, so it is neither malleable nor brittle.

• Material | Under the hammer | So it is
• Copper (a metal) | flattens into a sheet | malleable
• Coal, sulfur | break into pieces | brittle
• Wood | neither flattens nor breaks | neither malleable nor brittle

Notes

Coal and sulfur break into pieces when beaten: they are brittle. Wood neither flattens nor breaks: neither malleable nor brittle.

Check yourself

A material that breaks into pieces when beaten is called...

Which of these is brittle?

Wood is...

Which group has only brittle materials?

• malleable. A malleable material flattens into a thin sheet.
• brittle — correct. Yes! Brittle materials break into pieces.
• ductile. Ductile means it can be drawn into wires.
• Copper. Copper flattens into a sheet. It is malleable.
• Wood. Wood neither flattens nor breaks.
• Sulfur — correct. Yes! Sulfur breaks into pieces when beaten.
• malleable. Wood does not flatten into a sheet.
• brittle. Wood does not break into pieces when beaten.
• neither malleable nor brittle — correct. Yes! It neither flattens nor breaks.
• Coal and sulfur — correct. Yes! Both break into pieces when beaten.
• Coal and wood. Wood is neither malleable nor brittle.
• Copper and sulfur. Copper is malleable.