malleability and ductility (i.e. they can be hammered into different shapes and pulled out into wires).
1 Metals are used extensively in daily life, in their pure form or in the form of different alloys. One such metal is lead. a) Explain the origins of the word 'plumbing'? b) What substances in Caligula's fruit juices do you think might have dissolved the lead from his plates? c) What are the symptoms of lead poisoning? d) What is the difference between hard and soft water? Explain how different types of hardness can be removed from water. e) Why might it be better to live in a hard water area if you have lead piping? f) What properties of lead make it suitable for use in piping? g) The article suggests that water companies are reluctant to replace lead piping. Why do you think this might be? h) Lead from water is not the only way in which lead gets into our bodies. What other source of lead can you think of? How might this source of lead be reduced? i) Give an example of an alloy that includes lead. What is the alloy used for?
2 Another extremely useful metal is aluminium. a) How common an element is aluminium? b) Which ore is the main source of aluminium? c) Approximately how much aluminium would you get from a kilogram of this ore? d) According to the articles, what are the advantages and disadvantages of using aluminium? e) Why have cars become increasingly heavy? f) What advantages are there in using an aluminium alloy rather than steel for car bodies? g) What problems have there been in the past with using aluminium alloys for car bodies? How have they been overcome? h) What thickness of aluminium is used for the bodies of road cars? What thickness is used for racing cars? Why do you think a different thickness is used for racing cars? i) What other uses of aluminium are mentioned in the articles?
