How are composite materials formed?

• A. By weaving fabric
• B. By combining a reinforcing material and a bonding agent
• C. By carving from a single block
• D. By mixing clay and water

Answer: (B)

Composites are formed by bringing together a reinforcing material with a bonding matrix. The reinforcement, like fibers or particles, provides high strength and stiffness, while the matrix binds the reinforcement together, spreads loads, and protects it from damage. This pairing creates a material whose overall properties are better than either component on its own. A common example is fiberglass, where glass fibers are embedded in a polymer resin. The other options describe separate manufacturing ideas—weaving fabric is textile production, carving from a single block is subtractive shaping, and mixing clay and water creates a clay mixture, not a structural composite—so they don’t describe how composites are formed.