this post was submitted on 03 May 2024
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Science Memes

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we love those power laws (mander.xyz)
submitted 7 months ago by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
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[–] [email protected] 6 points 7 months ago (3 children)

I believe bronze and iron weapons are equally powerful, but bronze is a mixture of copper and tin (requiring two types of input). Iron is more plentiful than tin, so militaries do not need large supplies of tin if they can manipulate iron. Steel, I believe, needs much higher temperatures and purified inputs.

[–] emergencyfood 8 points 7 months ago

While iron is more plentiful than tin, it is harder to purify than tin or copper. The 'iron age' refers to the time when humans started smelting iron, and making tools using various steels and other iron-based alloys. These are generally much stronger than bronze.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 7 months ago

Iron, like actual iron, is weaker than bronze. IIRC, tensile strength is copper<iron<bronze<steel, by roughly x2.