Materials Science and Engineering, Spring 2025

M. Hinojosa

Worksheet 09: Introduction to

Having explored the structure of materials from the atomic to the microstructural level, we will now
investigate how materials respond to applied forces, also known as loads.
Mechanical properties define a material's behavior under the influence of these forces. Forces induce
deformation, or strain, which can be either temporary (elastic) or permanent (plastic). When forces
exceed a material's limit, fracture occurs. The material's response, fundamentally linked to the elastic
nature of atomic bonds, is quantified through the concepts of stress and strain.
Mechanical properties are experimentally determined in the laboratory using standardized tests.
Hardness and tensile tests are among the most common. A thorough understanding of stress-strain
curves, particularly for common metals like carbon steels, is essential.
To prepare for this section, please complete the following:
Read: Chapter 6 of both Askeland's Materials Science and Engineering (6th ed.) and Callister's Materials
Science and Engineering: An Introduction (7th ed.).
Analyze: The accompanying PowerPoint presentation.
Watch: The assigned videos.
Worksheet Submission Guidelines:
- A cover page is not required.
- You may complete the worksheet digitally or print it for manual completion.
- If completing the worksheet manually, ensure you convert your solved worksheet to a single
PDF file.
- Verify that all pages in the PDF are correctly oriented before submission.
- You do not need to add a cover page to your solved worksheet. You can solve the worksheet
digitally or in printed form, in this case remember that you must convert your solved worksheet
to pdf format, make sure all the pages are correctly oriented.

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Worksheet 09
Name: Date:

1.- Write down two common units of force:

2.- Write down a simple formula to calculate (mechanical) stress:

3.- Write down some common units of stress:

4.- Identify the loading mode (state of stress) (tension, compression, torsion, bending):

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5.- Convert the pressure of your car tires, which is about _____ psi (psi stands
for________________________), to MPa. Note that the stress on the tire can be different to
this value of pressure, stress is also different in different directions and locations.

6.- Write down one or two simple expressions for the Hooke´s law:

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7.- Consider the two cylinders in (a) and (b).

F = 100 Kgf
F = 100 Kgf

a) This cylinder is made of pure iron, with d b) This cylinder is made of pure copper,
= 10 cm and h = 20 cm with d = 5 cm and h = 10 cm.

7.1.- Convert the applied force to Newtons:

7.2.- Calculate the stress on the cylinder made of pure iron:

7.3.- Calculate the stress on the cylinder made or pure copper:

7.4.- Calculate the strain of the cylinder made of pure iron:

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7.5.- Calculate the strain on the cylinder made of pure copper:

7.6.- Calculate the strain on the cylinder on (a) if it were made of pure copper:

8.- (a) Estimate the ______________ (tension, compression) stress on a leg of your chair when you are
sitting on it (so the applied force, P, will be your weight divided by four). (b) Use Hooke´s law to
estimate the corresponding strain. (c) Estimate the corresponding elongation (to do this you must know
or guess which material is your chair made of).

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9.- A specimen of copper having a rectangular cross section 15.2 mm x 19.1 mm is pulled in tension with
a force of 44,500 N, producing only elastic deformation. Calculate the resulting strain and elongation
(Add a sketch).

10.- Which of the following materials is more rigid (stiffer)?: ____________________________

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11.- Which of the following materials is more ductile? ______________________________

Why?:

12.- A cylindrical specimen of stainless steel having a diameter of 12.8 mm and a gauge length (lo) of
50.8 mm is pulled in tension. Use the load-elongation data given below to plot the stress vs engineering
strain curve (Use Excel, or any similar software). You can use the file [Link]
available in our MSTeams.

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Paste your work here (add any space you may need):

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13.- The following tensile strengths were measured for four specimens of the same steel alloy. Give an
estimate of the tensile strength considering the statistical variations. You can use the file
[Link] available in our MSTeams.

14.- A set of samples of the same copper- zinc alloy with different grain size has the properties indicated
in the table, plot the strength vs grain diameter (using Excel or any other software, you can use the
file [Link] available in our MSTeams.).
Briefly comment your result using your own words and considering the Materials Science Tetrahedron as
well as a mathematical model.

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15.- (a) Why are metals, in general, ductile?:

(b) Why are FCC metals, in general, more ductile than BCC and HCP metals?:

16.- Give the technical translation to English for the following terms in Spanish: Deformación:

____________ or ________ ; Esfuerzo (mecánico): _________________; Curva esfuerzo vs.

deformación: _________________________________; punto de cedencia: ________________; rigidez:

_____________; Dureza: _______________________; esfuerzo cortante: ______________; tenacidad:

_____________; durómetro: ____________________; probeta: __________________; frágil:

____________, dúctil: _________ ; elongación: ________________; encuellamiento:

________________; razón de Poisson: ________________; flexión: _________________; fatiga:

_________________.

17.- Using your own words, describe the Rockwell hardness test and scales, you may choose to write
down one page (letter size 10, you may include one figure or table), or record a two-minutes voice or
video clip.

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The Rockwell Hardness test is a very used method, It’s unlized to determine the matenal’s hardness,
ir particular metals and alloys. It measures the resistance of materials by applying a force using a
Specific too The Rockwell hardness number is calculated by the how doop the tool goes into the
material. This method is widely used for its simplicity, how little it takes, and how accurate is in the
measurements it takes.

This test uses different scales, each one of them is designed for specific materals and applications.
One of the scales implements letters, like, HRA, HRB, [Link] others. These scale is based on
the type of indenter, which is the tool used to apply the force, and the amount of force applied
during the test. The indenter mainly used in the Rockwell test are a steel or tungsten carbide ball
and a conical diamond, that is known as a Brale indenter.
To choose the correct scale and intender its important to known the material’s properties, to ensure
and accurate and reliable result.

For softer material like copper, for example, the HRB scale is commonly used, which employs a 1/16
inch steel ball and a 100kg load. For harder materals such as steel, the HRC Is the most suitable scale,
which employs a diamond cone indenter and a 150kg load. Another scale that also uses a diamond
cone indenter, applies a lower force, Is sultable for measuring the hardness of very hard materials like
cemented carbides. There also exist Other scales liKe, HRD, HRE, HRF, HRG, HRL, and HRM, that
allows to test a wider range of materials.

One of the benefits of the Rockwell Hardness test is its non-destructive nature, as it doesn’t damage
significantly the material that is tested. It can also be applied to finished products, making it useful for
quality tests in manufacturing. However, there exist some limitations, such as, potential inaccuracies
when testing very thin matenals or coatings. In this cases, alternative hardness tosts, like the knoop or
vickers tests, that may be
more suitable.

This test is widely applied in quality control and material selection processes across various
industries, including manufacturing, aerospace, and automotive sectors. Due to its efficiency and
reliability, the Rockwell Hardness test remains one of the most commonly used methods for
measuring material hardness.

In engineering and metallurgy, hardness values obtained from Rockwell tests are critical for assessing
materia performance, wear resistance, and suitabilty for speafic applications.

The ability to quickly and accurately determine hard ness allows engineers and manufactures to make
informed decisions regarding material selection.
ensuring the durability and functionalty of components in diverse applications.