Materials and their applications common mistakes

Common mistakes

• Confusing thermoplastics with thermosetting plastics

  Students often mix up the properties and applications of thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics.

  Fix itRemember that thermoplastics can be remolded upon heating, while thermosetting plastics cannot.

• Confusing hardness with toughness

  Students often confuse hardness (resistance to scratching) with toughness (ability to absorb energy before fracturing).

  Fix itClarify that hardness measures surface resistance, while toughness measures a material's ability to withstand impact without breaking.

• Confusing toughness with hardness

  Students often confuse toughness with hardness, thinking that a hard material is also tough.

  Fix itRemember that toughness refers to a material's ability to absorb energy and deform without breaking, while hardness is a measure of a material's resistance to deformation.

• Miscalculating Material Costs

  Students often forget to multiply the unit cost by the quantity needed.

  Fix itAlways ensure to perform the multiplication step when calculating total costs.

• Confusing thermoplastics with thermosetting plastics

  Students often mix up the properties of thermoplastics and thermosetting plastics.

  Fix itRemember that thermoplastics can be reshaped upon heating, while thermosetting plastics cannot be remolded after they have set.

• Confusing thermoplastics with thermosets

  Students often mix up thermoplastics, which can be remolded, with thermosets, which cannot.

  Fix itRemember that thermoplastics can be reshaped upon heating, while thermosets undergo a chemical change and retain their shape.

• Confusing hardness with toughness

  Students often mix up hardness and toughness, thinking they are the same property.

  Fix itRemember that hardness measures resistance to deformation, while toughness measures the ability to absorb energy before fracturing.