Simulation of Dislocations in Metals - Introduction
Soap bubbles in a raft form grains of close-packed arrays with various orientations relative to each other.
solids
Hardness of Solid Substances - Diamond Scratching Glass
A piece of glass is scratched with a diamond-tipped stylus, showing that diamond is harder than glass.
Hardness of Solid Substances - Shattering a Silicon Wafer
A silicon wafer is flexed until the wafer shatters.
Hardness of Solid Substances - Peeling Layers of Molybdenum Disulfide
A piece of tape pressed against a sample of molybdenum sulfide will peel off layers of the sample. Additional tape can be used to cleave the peeled sample hundreds of times.
Hardness of Solid Substances - Cutting Lithium
Lithium, a very soft metal, can be cut with a knife.
Hardness of Solid Substances - Grinding Graphite
Graphite can easily be crushed into small pieces.
Hardness of Solid Substances - Grinding Magnesium
Magnesium metal is not easily ground or crushed.
Hardness of Solid Substances - Grinding Sulfur
Sulfur can easily be ground to a fine powder.
Hardness of Solid Substances - Grinding Iron
Iron metal is not easily ground or crushed.
Hardness of Solid Substances - Grinding Zinc
Zinc metal is not easily ground or crushed.