Ceramic

A ceramic is a material made from clay and hardened by firing at a high temperature. It is hard, brittle, chemically inert, has a very high melting point and does not conduct electricity. Malay: seramik · Chinese: 陶瓷.

These properties come from strong bonding throughout the fired material. Because the bonds are strong and rigid, a ceramic is very hard and keeps its shape even when very hot, which gives it a high melting point and makes it a good heat insulator. The same rigidity means it cannot bend to absorb a blow, so it is brittle and shatters rather than dents. A ceramic does not react easily with acids or other chemicals, and it does not conduct electricity, so it is also a good electrical insulator. Together these make ceramics ideal where heat, wear and chemical attack must all be resisted.

Example. Ceramics are used for floor and wall tiles, pottery and crockery, electrical insulators on power lines, and the linings of furnaces where ordinary materials would melt or burn away. Each use draws on the hardness, heat resistance or chemical inertness of the material.

Confusion to avoid. Do not confuse a ceramic with glass. Both are hard and brittle and stand up to chemicals, but a ceramic is made from clay and is usually opaque, while glass is made mainly from silica and is transparent. Both are non-metals and neither conducts electricity.

A reliable answer picks one property and one matching use and links them directly: a high melting point for furnace linings, chemical inertness for storage vessels, or electrical insulation for the insulators on power lines. Pairing each property with a use in this way shows the examiner that you understand why the material is chosen, not merely what it is like.

Listing the properties of ceramics and matching them to uses is a standard materials task in SPM Chemistry.