Question

If an engine needs to stay in one piece while running at high heat, what does the material need to resist doing to avoid failing?

Accepted Answer

To keep an engine in one piece at high heat, the metal must resist something called creep. Creep is when a material slowly stretches and changes shape because it is under heavy pressure while being very hot. Think of it like a piece of soft clay that slowly sags downward if you leave it sitting on a shelf. The engine parts also need to resist thermal expansion, which is how materials grow larger when they get hot. If a part grows too much or changes its shape, it can bump into other parts and break the engine. Finally, the material must resist oxidation. This is a chemical reaction that happens when hot metal touches oxygen in the air, which makes the metal rust or rot away. By fighting off this stretching, growing, and rotting, the engine stays strong and keeps working.

If an engine needs to stay in one piece while running at high heat, what does the material need to resist doing to avoid failing?

To keep an engine in one piece at high heat, the metal must resist something called creep. Creep is when a material slowly stretches and changes shape because it is under heavy pressure while being very hot. Think of it like a piece o....

Community Answers

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If an engine needs to stay in one piece while running at high heat, what does the material need to resist doing to avoid failing?

To keep an engine in one piece at high heat, the metal must resist something called creep. Creep is when a material slowly stretches and changes shape because it is under heavy pressure while being very hot. Think of it like a piece o....

Community Answers