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Photo of a slate wall.

List of materials

Things that you can use to make other things from.

Photo of carbon
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Cis forCarbon

Scientific name: C
Carbon is an element, and it is not a metal. Carbon can be found in many forms, the most well-known are: a clear, crystalline form called diamond, the black graphite found in lead pencils and common carbon that is found as coal and soot.
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Cardboard is very thick paper. Cardboard might be solid all the way through, or it might have a zigzag of thinner cardboard inside it, for strength but keeping it light.
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Cis forCement

Cement is a binding material. It will set on its own by a chemical reaction. Cement is mixed in with other things to bind them together. Most people are familiar with concrete, which is made from cement, sand and an aggregate like gravel.
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Cis forCeramic

Ceramic is a material that is made from another material by heating it up so it changes its internal structure, and then letting it cool off again. Most ceramics are made from clay, which is soft and brittle before it is fired, and much harder and stronger afterwards. Glass is another example of a ceramic. It is made by heating sand.

Cis forChain

A chain is made of links - each link goes through the next link to make one long chain. Chains are usually made from a metal like steel, and are used where rope isn't strong enough. Chains are used to lift heavy containers with a crane, or to pull very heavy loads behind a truck or tractor. Very small chains are used for jewellery. Decorative chains are usually made from gold or silver.
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Cinder blocks are fairly lightweight concrete blocks used for building walls. They are usually hollow. Their name varies depending on what is used as an aggregate. Cinder blocks can be called concrete blocks, cement blocks, foundation blocks, breeze blocks (UK), besser blocks (Australia) or clinker blocks. The lighter, lower quality types of cinder blocks use industrial wastes like ash as an aggregate.

Cis forClay

Clay is a special kind of mud that is just the right texture to make things out of. You can make sculptures, bricks and pavers out of clay, but most people make cups, vases and plates out of clay. Someone who makes plates out of clay for a living is called a potter.
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Cis forCloth

Cloth, or fabric, is a large, thin material that is made from tiny fibers connected together. Cloth is used to make clothes, drapes, some kinds of bag and many other things besides. The picture is of some long rolls of cloth.
Cobblestones are stones that were used to pave streets before concrete and asphalt were invented. They were typically smooth stones found in a riverbed. Because the stones could be all different sizes and were placed so they fit together without gaps, they have given rise to the phrase "cobbled together".
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Cis forConcrete

Concrete is a something you can use to make roads, buildings, parts of houses and fences out of. Concrete is used more than any other building material. Concrete is made from cement, gravel, lime, sand and water. It starts as a dry mix of all the powders, and after water is added it will go hard within a matter of hours from a chemical reaction.