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Junior Cycle · Junior Cycle Engineering

Junior Cycle Engineering: Heat treatment

How often Heat treatment comes up on the Engineering papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

CL Asked on 3 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Heat treatment, Common Level(7 marks)

Quick ones on Heat treatment.

(a)When hardening carbon steel, what is done once it is heated to cherry red?
  1. Let it cool slowly in the air
  2. Quench it quickly in water or oil
  3. Reheat it slowly to a blue colour
(b)A hardened chisel is now too brittle. Which process reduces the brittleness?
  1. Anodising
  2. Annealing
  3. Tempering
(c)What is the purpose of annealing a metal?
  1. To make it soft and easier to shape
  2. To give it a coloured, protective coat
  3. To give it a hard, wear-resistant skin
Show the answers

(a) Quench it quickly in water or oil

(b) Tempering

(c) To make it soft and easier to shape

Your turn: Common Level questions on Heat treatment.

Common Level

Asked on 3 of the last 5 Common Level papers, most recently in 2025. most years

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Q3c
2024Q4c
2023Q4a
2022Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More Heat treatment questions

Heat treatment, 3 marks

What is the safe way to move hot steel from the forge to the quench tank?

  1. Pick it up quickly using a dry cloth
  2. Wait until it stops glowing, then lift by hand
  3. Use tongs and wear gloves and a face visor
Show the answer

Use tongs and wear gloves and a face visor

Steel that has stopped glowing can still be hot enough to burn badly. Use tongs, a leather apron, gloves and a visor, and lower it into the quench away from your face.

Other Engineering topics

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