Alloy
They are homogeneous mixture of two or more metals.One of them can be non-metal also, e.g., brass is an alloy, of Cu and Zn.
Amalgam
When a metal is alloyed with mercury,it is called amalgam
Purpose of Making alloys
(i) Alloys do not get corroded or corroded to very less extent.
(ii) They are harder and stronger than pure metal, e.g., gold mixed with copper is harder than pure gold.
(iii) They have less conductance than pure metals, e.g., copper is good conductor of heat and electricity whereas brass and not good conductors.
(iv) Some alloys have lower melting point than pure metals, e.g., solder is an alloy of lead and tin which has lower melting point than each of the metals. It is used for soldering of metals.
Preparation of Alloys
They are prepared by first melting the main metal, and then dissolving the other elements in it in definite proportion. It is then cooled to room temperature
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