Did you get the joke? No? Certainly you are unaware of the alloys.Read below and you won’t be ignorant anymore.

Let’s start with some information about the Gold that we use for Jewellery:

Pure gold is very soft (also called 24carat gold). It cannot be used for making Jewellery. A small amount of silver or copper is mixed with it in order to improve its hardness, malleability and ductility. This is normally 22 carat gold and is used in making ornaments (which means there are 22 parts gold and 2 part copper/silver).

Can you calculate the percentage purity of 22 carat-gold? You certainly can! Solve it on your own.

This type of homogeneous (uniformly mixed) mixture of more than one metal or even non-metal is known as alloy.

Ask your mom the Jewellery she’s wearing is made of what? If she answers Gold, then you have your chance of teaching your parents something. You don’t get such chances often 😉

An alloy is prepared by melting the main constituting metal and then adding definite proportions of the other elements (metals and non-metals) also in the molten state. The molten mass is uniformly stirred and cooled to form a solid mass. That’s how an alloy is made.

The alloy in which mercury is one of the constituents is known as amalgam.

Lets check some more alloys and their uses:

Alloy Composition (approximate values) Reason for alloying Uses Brass Cu = 80%, Zn=20% Zn imparts hardness to copper and the alloy becomes harder than pure copper and zinc. Used for making utensils, cartridges, electrical fittings Bronze Cu=90%, Sn=10% Sn enhances ability of copper to take up polish Used for making statues, medals, ships, coins, machines etc. Solder Sn=60%, Pb=40% Sn lowers the melting point of alloy Used for joining metals, soldering wires, electronic components etc. Duralumin Al=95.5%, Cu= 3%, Mn=1%, Mg=0.5% Al imparts lightness, Mg enhances strength, Cu enhances corrosion resistance. Used in bodies of aircrafts, kitchen ware, automobile parts etc. German silver Cu=60%, Zn=20%, Ni=20% Appears like silver and cheaper than silver Used for making utensils, ornaments. Magnalium Al =90%, Mg=10% Al imparts lightness, Mg enhances strength. Used in balance beams, light instruments. Stainless steel Fe=90%, Ni=0.35%, Cr=9%, C=0.25% Ni and Cr imparts silvery appearance, C imparts hardness Used in utensils, Cutlery.

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