Skip to content
Know.itKnow.it
Create an animated lesson
On request

This article is free to read. Creating a lesson uses your daily or stored credits; review the language and settings before starting.

What is an alloy?

ScienceLesson on requestFree to read

Quick answer

An alloy is a material made by mixing a metal with one or more other elements to get better properties. Steel (iron plus carbon) and bronze (copper plus tin) are alloys — usually stronger, harder, or more useful than the pure metals alone.

Key things to understand

  1. It blends a base metal with other metals or elements.
  2. The added atoms disrupt the orderly metal structure, making it harder to bend.
  3. Steel, bronze, brass, and stainless steel are everyday alloys.
  4. Alloys can resist rust, add strength, or lower the melting point.
  5. Their properties are tuned by changing the recipe.

People also ask

Why are alloys stronger than pure metals?
The differently sized added atoms block the metal's layers from sliding, so the material resists bending and is harder and stronger.
What is steel?
An alloy of iron with a small amount of carbon, which makes it far stronger and harder than pure iron.
Why is stainless steel rust-resistant?
It contains chromium, which forms an invisible protective oxide layer that shields the iron from rusting.