Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry · Syllabus 0620 · Metals
Ductility
What is Ductility?
The property of a material that allows it to be drawn out into a thin wire without snapping. In metals it has the same structural cause as malleability: layers of identical positive ions slide past one another while the delocalised electrons continue to bond the structure.
This definition is part of the Metals chapter in Cambridge IGCSE Chemistry.
Common mistakes with Ductility
- 2. “Malleable means it can be drawn into wires.” Repair Malleable = can be hammered or pressed into shape. Ductile = can be drawn out into a wire. Copper wiring needs ductility; aluminium foil needs malleability. Swapping them answers a different question from the one asked. Where Lesson 9.1A. Core 9.1.1
- 2. “Copper is malleable, which is why it is drawn into wires.” Core 9.1.1 Defect The wrong one of the two words. Reason Malleable = hammered or pressed into shape. Ductile = drawn into a wire. Wires need ductility. Repair “Copper is ductile, so it can be drawn into thin wires.” Transfer Which word applies to aluminium cooking foil? Malleable — foil is rolled into a sheet.