Hints on getting started on the Materials project

People generally spend vastly more time on this - often by a factor of ten or more! - than they should.

Here is a much abbreviated, and not so good (because written earlier) version of the paper behind the link above.

1.    Select a material

2.    Make a list of things people use it for. You could use the internet for this, but it's almost certainly better to choose a material for which you can compile this list from your head. This list should be a series of subheadings.

3.    Under each subheading, make a list of the qualities (properties) the material has that make it suitable for that particular purpose.

4.    Cross out all chemical properties (at this stage, although they might re-appear later in a subsidiary role)

5.    Select a sub-heading that still has a viable number of discussable properties.

To give the project some structure (placing it in a context) you can now turn all this on its head. Declare the use, identify what properties a material might need to have, show that X has these properties. Bingo.

On the way, you will need to have branches off into an exposition of the relevant background physics connected with the properties you are concentrating on, delving right down to the micro-explanation of the macro properties. This discussion, however, need only be general, and probably does not need to address the specific differences between X and Y. You will also want to quote the actual values of things like Young Moduli, breaking stresses and so on.

It is at this point that you start surfing the net, rather than right at the beginning. In other words use it to find specific information rather than general inspiration. Focus on targets!