Which risk increased when Mesopotamian smiths quenched arsenic bronze blades improperly?

💡 Explanation

When arsenic bronze blades were quenched too quickly, thermal shock introduced crystalline defects and brittleness because rapid cooling prevented uniform lattice contraction. Therefore embrittlement results, rather than corrosion, impurities, or conductivity changes, which require distinct chemical mechanisms or material additions.

• Which principle was applied in Alhazen's camera obscura experiments to demonstrate rectilinear propagation of light?
• Which risk increases when bronze tools or weapons are used in highly saline environments during the Bronze Age?
• Which environmental consequence arose from intensive terrace farming during the Classic Mayan period?
• During Roman sieges, which consequence resulted from using vinegar-soaked textiles against city gates reinforced with iron?
• Which outcome predictably occurred when Islamic mathematicians computationally solved high-degree polynomial equations?
• Which material degradation risk increased when Roman siege engines launched quicklime projectiles against wooden fortifications?