Alloys

What is Alloys?

Within Chemistry, which covers atoms, bonding, reactions, the periodic table, organic chemistry and the chemistry of everyday life, this topic explains Alloys. Chemistry links what you can see in the lab to the particles and bonds behind it, so each topic here shows that link in a model.

Check that you can explain Alloys in your own words and give one example from everyday life. If you can do that, you have understood the core idea.

Understanding Alloys helps you explain why substances behave as they do, from cleaning products and food to medicines.

Alloys in detail

An alloy is a mixture of a metal with one or more other elements, usually other metals. The different-sized atoms distort the regular layers, making it harder for them to slide, so alloys are harder and stronger than pure metals.

Examples include steel (iron with carbon), brass (copper and zinc), bronze (copper and tin) and solder. Stainless steel resists rust because it contains chromium. Pure gold is too soft for jewellery, so it is alloyed and measured in carats. Alloys are designed with particular properties for tools, aircraft and buildings.

How the interactive helps you understand Alloys

Click a card to flip it and reveal the answer, then move on to the next one.

Before you change anything, predict the result. Then change one value at a time and check whether your prediction was right. This is a quick way to build a correct mental model of Alloys.

Real-life uses and examples

• Use Alloys to explain what happens in a lab experiment and why.
• Link Alloys to everyday products such as cleaning agents, food and medicines.
• Read a chemical equation or diagram and work out what Alloys shows.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Describing what happens without explaining the particles or bonds involved.
• Mixing up the names of substances or ions when you describe Alloys.
• Learning the definition without testing it. Use the quiz and the interactive to check that you can apply the idea.