Which one of the following is anisotropic in nature?

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Glass

Rubber

Plastic

Quartz

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UPSC CAPF – 2018

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Quartz is a crystalline solid, and its physical properties (like refractive index, thermal conductivity, etc.) vary depending on the direction in which they are measured. This directional dependence of properties is known as anisotropy. Glasses, rubber, and most common plastics are amorphous solids (or largely amorphous), meaning their structure is disordered, and their properties are generally the same in all directions, making them isotropic.

Anisotropic materials have properties that vary with direction, typically due to their ordered internal structure (like crystals). Isotropic materials have properties that are the same in all directions, typically due to their disordered or randomly oriented structure (like amorphous solids or polycrystalline aggregates with randomly oriented grains).

Common examples of anisotropic materials include crystalline solids (like quartz, calcite, wood, and many metals in single crystal form). Isotropic materials include glass, amorphous polymers, liquids, and gases. Some materials can be made anisotropic through processing, like drawing plastic fibers or rolling metals, which introduces preferred orientation in the material’s structure.

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