An ironsmith heats iron before making tools. Why is heating necessary in this process?
Heating iron before shaping it into tools is necessary because metals become softer and more malleable when heated.
When iron is heated, it becomes red hot and can be easily beaten into different shapes using a hammer. The heating process allows the ironsmith to shape the iron into desired forms like axes, spades, tongs, and other tools.
Without heating, iron would be too hard and rigid to be shaped effectively. The combination of heating and hammering allows the metal to be moulded into the required shapes while maintaining its strength after cooling.
This is why the chapter shows the ironsmith Sudarshan heating an iron block in the furnace before beating it with a hammer to shape it into an axe.
Explanation
The chapter opens with the scenario of an ironsmith heating an iron block until it becomes red hot and then beating it to shape it into an axe. This demonstrates that heating makes metals more workable. The malleability property of metals allows them to be beaten into thin sheets or different shapes, and this property is enhanced when the metal is heated.
Solution Steps
Heating makes metals softer and more malleable
Heated iron becomes red hot and can be beaten into different shapes using a hammer
Without heating, iron would be too hard and rigid to be shaped effectively
The combination of heating and hammering allows moulding while maintaining strength after cooling