Challenge of Materials

The Challenge of Materials gallery allows students to see the range of weird and wonderful objects we have in our materials collections and find out about the properties and uses of materials. In addition to exploring cases of objects illustrating the properties and uses of such materials as glass, plastic and metal, students will be able to interact with hands-on exhibits and computer-based interactives. We regularly update the gallery with new stories on materials science covering topics ranging from superconductors to spider silk. The centrepiece of the gallery is a spectacular glass bridge supported by almost invisible steel wires just 1.6mm thick which your students can cross, if they dare!

The gallery is divided into four zones

1. What are Materials looks at the hidden world of materials.     
2. Selecting It explores why materials are chosen for particular jobs. 
3. Making It helps you find out about different processes which can transfer a raw material into a finished product. 
4. Getting Rid of It shows you what we do with things like sinks and telephone directories when we stop using them.

Use the gallery to explore the following ideas:

a. Objects are made from a particular material based on its properties, including its aesthetics and cost. 
b. The same object can be made of different materials and this may change through history e.g. hot water bottles. 
c. Materials may go through a process that transforms it from its raw state. 
d. Objects are often made from more than one material, and this can make recycling tricky.

Before the visit look at some everyday objects which are made up of glass, plastic or metal. Are any other materials used as part of the object? Why have these materials been chosen? Could this object have been made of any other materials? Why? If you were going to recycle this object, what would happen to each of the materials used and what might they turn in to? Do some research on the Web or in the library to try to find out about the recycling process for various materials.

During the visit ask the students to work in pairs to explore one material i.e. glass, plastic or metal. During their time in the gallery they could take photos or produce drawings of one really unusual object they found which was made from their material and one interesting fact they found out, e.g. about its raw state, the manufacturing process it goes through or its recycling process.

After the visit the students could prepare a short presentation about their chosen material. All the pairs who worked on a particular material, e.g. glass, could work together and present back to the class. They should explain why they chose their unusual object and what they think it would have been used for and why this material was chosen to make it.
 
Older or more able students can explore how scientists have worked at synthesising natural materials that have extraordinary properties e.g. spider silk. While in the gallery they can see if they can find some manufactured products using technologies that have been inspired by nature, known as biomimetics. When they get back to school they can research more about the objects they found and see how biomimetics has been used in our everyday lives.