Steelmaking

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/steelmaking

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is steel and how is it made from iron?Steel is made by adding a small amount of carbon to iron. The carbon atoms fit into the iron’s crystal structure, making the metal stronger and harder.
2. Why does adding carbon make iron stronger?Carbon atoms distort the iron’s crystal lattice, creating a solid solution that increases strength and hardness while making the metal less stretchy.

Alloy: A metallic substance composed of two or more elements, where at least one is a metal.
Pig Iron: An intermediate product of the iron industry, produced by smelting iron ore in a blast furnace, with high carbon content.
Continuous Casting: A process where molten steel is solidified directly into semi-finished shapes without re-melting, improving efficiency and quality.