Properties of other materials

• Most polymers are insulators • Often flexible • Have low density meaning they’re not heavy for their size and strength which make them helpful for things need to be strong but not heavy • They can be easily moulded made into, almost, any shape

Ceramics can be used for porcelain glass and bone china - They’re insulators - difficult for energy to be transferred through them electrically or by heating - They are brittle so they aren’t flexible and the shatter instead of bending - They’re stiff so they can withstand strong forces before they break

• Composites are made of two or more different materials stuck together • This makes a material with more useful properties than either material alone

• Fibreglass consists of glass embedded into plastic • Low density but it’s very strong • These properties are useful for making things like skis, boats and surfboards