Difference between revisions of "Material"
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| − | '''Material''' is any physical substance used in | + | '''Material''' is any physical substance used in production, costs, and pricing or manufacturing. Raw materials are first extracted or harvested from the [[earth]] and made into a form that can be easily transported and stored, then processed to produce "semi-finished materials". These can be input into a new cycle of production and finishing processes to create "finished materials", ready for distribution and [consumption|economics]]. |
| − | An example of a raw material is | + | An example of a raw material is cotton, which can be processed into thread or used in the making of [[paper]]; further processing can yield garments or [[books]] respectively. Steelmaking is another example—raw materials are mined, refined and processed into steel, a semi-finished material. Steel is then used in many other industries to make finished products. |
== See also == | == See also == | ||
* [[Biomaterial]] | * [[Biomaterial]] | ||
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* [[Materials science]] | * [[Materials science]] | ||
* [[Natural resource]] | * [[Natural resource]] | ||
Revision as of 20:10, 13 April 2008
Material is any physical substance used in production, costs, and pricing or manufacturing. Raw materials are first extracted or harvested from the earth and made into a form that can be easily transported and stored, then processed to produce "semi-finished materials". These can be input into a new cycle of production and finishing processes to create "finished materials", ready for distribution and [consumption|economics]].
An example of a raw material is cotton, which can be processed into thread or used in the making of paper; further processing can yield garments or books respectively. Steelmaking is another example—raw materials are mined, refined and processed into steel, a semi-finished material. Steel is then used in many other industries to make finished products.
