From Atoms to Materials

Stone Age Copper Age Bronze Age Iron Age 4000 BC 3000 BC 1000 BC now Two stone axes from the Stone Age cast 鑄造 ornament 飾物 bronze 青銅 steel 鋼 Stone Age No metal was used. People used stones to make tools and weapons. Copper Age People learnt how to extract copper from its ores, and to cast* it into different shapes. They used copper to make weapons, tools, containers, ornaments*, etc. Bronze Age Bronze* is a mixture of copper and tin. People used it to make weapons, tools, containers, ornaments, musical instruments, etc. Iron Age Around 1000 BC, people learnt how to extract iron from its ores. Iron is the major component of steel*, a very strong, hard material. Three axes from the Copper Age Musical instruments from the Bronze Age A small knife from early Iron Age History of the use of metals Thousands of years ago, people already knew how to make different tools from various materials. According to the main types of materials used to make tools, historians divide human history into four periods, as shown in the timeline below. C 72 © United Prime Educational Publishing (HK) Limited 2024 All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, photocopied, recorded or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publisher. Sample