®Free Reading Comprehension HESI A2 Practice Test

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Question 1 of 20
Glass I wonder who first discovered glass. This commodity has been a part of civilization from the very beginning. Imagine a world without glass! How dark and dismal it would be. No windows, corrective lenses, telescopes, microscopes, cameras, sparkly drinking containers or mirrors. Life would not be the same without this wonderful discovery. Thank you, whoever found glass! Glass is not an element, but a combination of several elements. It is a hard, brittle, transparent solid material composed mainly of silica, with additives to change the character of the glass. Common additives are soda, lime, lead, and boron. Each additive changes the properties of the final product. Soda and lime are the most common additives, accounting for about 90% of glass production. Adding lead increases reflectivity, causing the glass to "sparkle." The addition of boron changes the thermal and electrical properties of glass, allowing cookware that can be used in the oven without shattering.

What is the definition of the term 'brittle'?

Rationale

Easily broken

The term 'brittle' refers to a material that is hard but prone to breaking or shattering easily under stress, rather than bending or deforming. This characteristic is significant in understanding how materials like glass behave under various conditions. A) Flexible and resilient describes materials that can bend without breaking and return to their original shape after deformation. Brittleness is the opposite of flexibility; brittle materials do not have the capacity to absorb significant energy before fracturing, making them unsuitable for applications requiring resilience. B) Easily broken succinctly captures the essence of brittleness. Brittle materials, such as glass, do not deform under stress but instead break quickly when subjected to force. This definition accurately reflects the behavior of materials that lack ductility and toughness. C) Strong and durable implies that a material can withstand force and resist damage over time. Brittleness is characterized by the inability to endure stress without breaking, thus opposing the notion of strength and durability, which typically describes more resilient materials. D) Thick and heavy does not relate to the concept of brittleness at all. A material can be thick and heavy yet still be brittle, as its density does not influence its ability to withstand stress without breaking. Brittleness is more concerned with the material's structural integrity rather than its physical dimensions. Conclusion Understanding the term 'brittle' is essential for recognizing the properties of various materials, particularly glass. Brittle materials are characterized by their tendency to break easily when subjected to stress, contrasting sharply with flexible or durable materials. This distinction is crucial in fields such as engineering and materials science, where the choice of materials significantly impacts functionality and safety.

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