Tensile testing experiment

Instructions

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 Tensile Testing Instructions

Introduction

This virtual experiment allows a number of mechanical tests to be performed on materials, including:

 Determination of full stress-strain curve to fracture, using either ‘engineering’ or ‘true’ values

 Observation of elastic behaviour and calculation of Young’s modulus

 Observation of the onset of plastic behaviour and permanent deformation

 Calculation of moduli of resilience and toughness

 Calculation of strain energy in a system

 Calculation of work done in deforming a sample

This provides full instructions on the background science and operation of the FlashyScience Tensile Testing
virtual experiment.

The software requires a browser such as Firefox, Internet Explorer or Safari to run and you need to be
connected to the internet.

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 Tensile Testing Instructions

Conducting the virtual experiment

Overview

There are three elements to this virtual experiment:

1. These instructions
2. The online program
3. Recording data, creating plots and performing analysis

Upon opening the software you will see the experimental equipment. Figure 1 shows a screenshot of the main
experimental view. The screen includes:

 A tensile test frame for holding samples and applying a tensile load.
 A Strain Control Unit for applying strain to samples.

 A load dial for measuring the applied load (force) to samples.

Figure 1. Main components for Tensile Testing experiment

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 Tensile Testing Instructions

Changing samples and measuring sample width

Figure 2 shows a magnified view of the sample holder, consisting of the

upper and lower sample clamps but with no sample initially.
To choose a sample, click on the lower sample clamp while the Strain
control unit is off. This opens a new view showing a choice of five
samples and a set of Vernier callipers (Fig. 3).

Figure 2. Magnified view of

sample holder region.

Figure 3. Vernier callipers and set of five samples.

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 Tensile Testing Instructions

The fives numbered samples consist of:

1. Stainless steel
2. Copper
3. Aluminium
4. Kevlar
5. Borosilicate glass

The thickness of all samples is 5 mm but the width varies each time samples are loaded.

To measure the sample width, first click on the lower portion of the Vernier callipers and slide it rightwards
to allow a sufficiently wide gap in the callipers for a sample to fit in (Fig. 4). Then drop and drag the sample
of your choice into the callipers before sliding the bottom part of the calliper leftwards until it meets the
sample (Fig. 5).

Figure 4. Vernier callipers with lower jaw dragged open.

Figure 5. Callipers closed around sample to

allow width to be measured.

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 Tensile Testing Instructions

The Vernier scale is read by first determining

where the first zero mark on the lower scale
intersects the larger upper scale.

Read to the left the whole largest whole

number on the upper scale that the lower scale
zero has passed – this provides the whole
number of millimetres for the sample width. In
Fig. 6, this is 9 mm.

The smaller component is determined by

observing where the marks on the two scales
are best aligned and using the value of the mark
on the lower scale at this alignment point. In Figure 6. Magnified view of Vernier scale on callipers.
Fig. 6, this is 0.5 mm, giving an overall width of
9.5 mm. Remember that each mark represents
0.1 mm, which defines the resolution of the
measurement. The width measurement can be
combined with the (fixed) thickness of 5.0 mm
given above to give a value for the initial cross-
sectional area of each sample.

A sample is chosen for tensile testing by clicking

on it while it is in the callipers with the jaws
closed around it. The screen view will return to
the tensile test frame and the sample will have
appeared in the sample holder (Fig. 7).

Alternatively, the calliper jaws can be opened to

allow a sample in the callipers to be clicked and Figure 7. Tensile test frame with sample loaded.
dragged back to its original position. This allows
any of the other samples to be placed in the callipers.

A new set of samples with different widths is obtained each time the callipers screen is selected.

To summarise the sample selection procedure:

 Click the lower sample holder to go to the sample view.

 Open the calliper jaws, drag a sample of choice between the jaw and close the jaws around it.
 Use the Vernier scale to measure the sample width.
 Click a sample in the callipers with the calliper jaws closed to load it into the tensile testing machine.

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 Tensile Testing Instructions

Operating the tensile test machine

The tensile test frame is operated and samples

tested by creating a specified amount of strain
(i.e. elongation) and then measuring the load (i.e.
force) required to do this. The stress can then be
calculated knowing the sample cross-sectional
area. The sample elongation is specified using the
stain control unit and the various controls are
shown in Fig. 8.

Click on the power switch to turn on the control

unit. The power switch and the strain display will
now be illuminated (Fig. 9).

The keypad on the strain control unit is used to set

the amount by which the strain changes for each
measurement point. To do this, first press the Set
button. The top number (‘Step’) in the display now
starts flashing and can be changed by using the
keypad numbers. The Del key can be used to Figure 8. Components of the strain control unit.
remove the last digit of the Step number. Once the desired strain increment is shown in the display, the Set key
should be pressed again to lock in the strain increment (Fig. 10).

To summarise setting the strain increment:

 Click the Set button (display starts to flash)

 Use the keypad and the Del button to enter the desired Step value
 Click the Set button again (display stops flashing)

Figure 9. Strain control unit Figure 10. Strain control unit with
after being turned on. strain increment set.

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 Tensile Testing Instructions

Clicking arrows on the strain control unit allow strain to be applied. Click the up arrow ( ) to increase the
strain and the down arrow ( ) to decrease the strain. The applied strain is updated by the Step increment
amount and shown in the Extn value in the strain control unit (Figs. 11 and 12). The force required to achieve
this strain is shown in the Load Dial with a fast moving red needle (showing load in kN) and a black needle that
responds ten times less sensitively (Figs. 11 and 13). A combination of the two needles can be used to
determine load values when the red needle has undergone more than one complete revolution of the Load
Dial.

Figure 11. Tensile test system after four steps increasing extension.

Figure 12. Strain control unit showing Figure 13. Load dial showing force of 0.7 kN
applied strain. applied to a sample.

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 Tensile Testing Instructions

The strain can be increased, to stretch a sample, or decreased, in order to relax a sample. When the applied
stress is greater than the fracture toughness, the sample fractures (Fig. 14).

Figure 14. Tensile test system with a fractured sample.

To change samples, the tensile test machine must first be turned off by clicking the power switch on the strain
control unit. Clicking on the sample then returns to the view of Vernier callipers and sample selection described
above.

To summarise applying strain to samples:

 Set the strain increment value as described above.

 Click the up arrow to increase the applied strain by the Step increment value.
 Click the down arrow to decrease the applied strain by the Step increment value.
 Measure (and record) the applied load (force) using the needles on the Load dial.
 Turn off the strain control unit and click on the lower sample holder to select a new sample.

You are now ready to perform tensile testing experiments!

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