What growth pattern is depicted during the dendritic growth process in metals?

Dendritic growth in metals refers to a specific solidification process characterized by the formation of tree-like structures as the metal transitions from liquid to solid. This branching pattern occurs due to the way crystals nucleate and grow under certain conditions, typically during the cooling phase of metal casting. As the metallic liquid cools down, solidification begins at nucleation sites and progresses into the liquid, where the solid crystals continue to grow.

The branching of solid particles is indicative of the dendritic structure, which is essential in understanding how the microstructure can affect the mechanical properties of the metal. Factors such as cooling rate and alloy composition can influence the nature of dendritic growth, making it a crucial aspect of materials science, particularly in metallurgy and engineering applications.

In contrast, uniform solidification does not produce the characteristic branching and is an idealized process where the metal solidifies in a straight-forward manner. The formation of bubbles in the liquid phase relates to gas entrapment or vaporization during melting, which does not describe the dendritic growth phenomenon. Lastly, contraction of the metal grains is not directly associated with the branching growth that occurs during dendritic solidification; rather, it may pertain to the changes in volume as metals solidify and cool, which