Resources
Smart Materials
This resource includes examples of real technologies which can be used as inspiration to children from age 7 to 16. Following on from the challenges that Tim Peake and his clothing will face in space, these case studies include background information for teachers, supporting Powerpoint slides, and example...
Smart Materials
This collection of smart materials resources supports students to learn about Quantum Tunnelling Composite, shape memory alloys, polymorph, microencapsulation, photochromic dyes, thermochromic dyes and E-textiles. The collection provides a classroom presentation, teacher notes, student worksheets, student revision...
This series of short films from the Technology Enhancement Programme (TEP) was produced to demonstrate the properties, and use, of a range of smart materials. Smart materials are materials that have one or more properties that can be significantly changed in a controlled fashion by external stimuli, such as stress...
The smart materials handling case contains a vast array of smart and unusual materials and is ideal for those required to give presentations or demonstrations about materials.
Case contents...
Smart materials: introduction to smart materials
A smart material describes a material that senses and responds to an external stimulus or change in the environment, and where the change reverses when the stimulus or change is removed. This resource provides an introduction to the topic of smart materials, looking at the properties of different materials,...
Smart materials: phase change materials
A phase change material are substances that absorb or release energy when it changes its physical state, providing useful heating or cooling properties. Did you know that phase change materials were developed by NASA to keep astronauts comfortable in the extreme temperature fluctuations in space? This resource...
Smart materials: photochromic materials
This resource looks at photochromic materials, exploring how they are used and their impact on space inspired products. The slides provide discussion points, investigation ideas and suggestions of practical experiments and products that will allow students to get hands-on with photochromic technology.
Smart materials: piezoelectric materials and quantum tunnelling composites
This resource explores the properties and uses of piezoelectric materials and quantum tunnelling composites. Taking examples from space technology, it provides a number of examples to discuss in the classroom and suggests practical experiments to give your students a hands-on examples of the technology.
Smart materials: shape memory alloys and shape memory polymers
Shape memory alloys (SMA) and shape memory polymers (SMP) remember their original shape, even after being significantly deformed, returning to their original shape in response to a stimulus. This resource explores the technology behind SMA's and SMP's, the properties that they bring to engineered products and...
Smart materials: teacher notes
These teacher notes will guide you through the collection of resources created for space-inspired smart materials. Including:
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