How to Answer: What is the difference between stainless steel and tool steel?
Advice and answer examples written specifically for a Mechanical Engineer job interview.
10. What is the difference between stainless steel and tool steel?
How to Answer
Your interviewer will likely ask you knowledge-based questions to understand how well you are able to explain concepts to others. Be prepared for questions like this one by practicing a few possibilities ahead of time. This question is asking about what makes stainless steel unique among steels, specifically in contrast with tool steel. Stainless steel is known for its resistance to rust or corrosion, and it is generally classified by having at least 11% of the element chromium (Cr) in its chemical composition. In contrast, tool steels are known for their hardness, or their ability to resist deformation. Like their name, tool steels are typically used to make tools, and are characterized by their carbon content, typically between 0.5% and 1.5% by weight.
Written by Jason Toby on October 12th, 2020
Answer Example
"Stainless steel and tool steel are both types of steel, which is a metal composed of iron and carbon with other elements added to create specific properties. Stainless steel generally contains over 11% of chromium by weight and is known for its resistance to corrosion. Tool steel generally contains between 0.5% and 1.5% of carbon by weight and is known for its hardness. Tool steel is useful for drill bits and injection molds as they both require a high resistance to abrasion."
Written by Jason Toby on October 12th, 2020