Iron

Iron was one of the first metals that people managed to smelt from ore, marking the transition from the Bronze to the Iron Age. Iron weapons were harder than bronze weapons, giving those who wielded iron a major advantage.

Steel is an alloy of iron and small quantities of carbon. This makes steel tougher and stronger than cast iron, and therefore more suitable for use in railway tracks. Stainless steel is the name given to an alloy that also contains chrome and nickel.