To be able to use metals effectively in engineering, it's important to have an understanding of how they are structured at the atomic level. In this video we'll explore metals, their microstructure, and various techniques like grain boundary strengthening, solid solution strengthening, precipitation hardening and work hardening that can be used to improve their properties. We'll also cover phase diagrams, focusing on the diagram for Iron-Carbon atoms, that shows us the different phases like ferrite, austenite and cementite that can be found in steels for equilibrium conditions.