Which outcome occurred when early bronze-age smiths quenched copper-arsenic alloy tools too rapidly in water?

💡 Explanation

When copper-arsenic alloys were quenched rapidly, thermal shock occurs due to uneven cooling rates between the surface the core, leading to internal stress that exceeds the alloy's tensile strength, causing cracking. Therefore cracking results, rather than changes in hardness, brittleness, or corrosion related to equilibrium phases, requiring slower cooling.

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