🔍 Key Concepts

• Material properties of aluminum vs cast iron in diesel and gasoline engine pistons • How thermal conductivity and weight/density affect piston performance • Trade‑offs between strength, wear resistance, and heat transfer in piston materials

💭 Think About

• Think about which property is typically better for aluminum and which is typically better for cast iron in engine components. • Which material would you expect to transfer heat away from the piston crown more quickly, and why is that important in an engine? • Which of the listed properties (strength at high temperature, heat conductivity, weight, wear resistance) is commonly a disadvantage of aluminum compared to cast iron?

✅ Before You Answer

• Identify which option describes a property where aluminum clearly outperforms cast iron in most engineering texts. • Eliminate any answers that state a property that is normally weaker or worse in aluminum (for example, think about wear resistance and strength at very high temperature). • Confirm that your final choice matches what is usually desired in high‑speed, high‑output pistons: light weight and efficient heat removal.