Submitted by georgecoffey t3_11e0lhk in explainlikeimfive
Is there an actual tangible, testable "thing" that differentiates the two? Given that "cast iron" has more carbon than steel, and "wrought iron" has less, what actually is it? Ductility? Why would a 5 year old know the term "ductility" but maybe they do!
Verence17 t1_jabu2yc wrote
Cast iron is even less "iron" than steel, it's just called that way. Iron is a base metal. Steel is an iron-carbon alloy with the right proportion of carbon, where the carbon makes it harder. "Cast iron" is not iron but it's another iron-carbon alloy with too much carbon, so the carbon makes it brittle.