How can we tell if something is hard or soft? In 'Hard or Soft,' children learn whether it is easy to change the shape of hard or soft materials, how we can tell if something is hard or soft, and which materials have these properties.

A comprehensive treatment of the chemistry and physics of mechanical hardness Chemistry and Physics of Mechanical Hardness presents a general introduction to hardness measurement and the connections between hardness and fundamental materials properties. Beginning with an introduction on the importance of hardness in the development of technology, the book systematically covers: Indentation Chemical bonding Plastic deformation Covalent semiconductors Simple metals and alloys Transition metals Intermetallic compounds Ionic crystals Metal-metalloids Oxides Molecular crystals Polymers Glasses Hot hardness Chemical hardness Super-hard materials Chemistry and Physics of Mechanical Hardness is essential reading for materials scientists, mechanical engineers, metallurgists, ceramists, chemists, and physicists who are interested in learning how hardness is related to other properties and to the building blocks of everyday matter.

Product Description: How do we use soft materials? What is the hardest material of all? Can things change from hard to soft? Read ‘Soft and Hard’ to find out! Learn how some things can be made from both soft and hard materials, how air can make things soft, and how things can change from soft to hard...read more

Presents pairs of photographs of similar items, including a ball of yarn and a bowling ball, and a baby chick and an egg, to introduce the difference between hard and soft.

Shows differences between things that are hard and things that are soft.

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