Page 1
Mechanical Properties
• Stiffness - Elastic Modulus or Young’s Modulus (MPa)
• Strength - Yield, Ultimate, Fracture, Proof, Offset Yield.
Measured as stress (MPa)
• Ductility - Measure of ability to deform plastically
without fracture - Elongation, Area Reduction, Fracture
Strain - (no units or mm/mm)
• Toughness, Resilience - Measure of ability to absorb
energy (J/m
3
).
• Hardness - Resistance to indentation/abrasion (Various
scales, e.g.; Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers.)
Page 2
Mechanical Properties
• Stiffness - Elastic Modulus or Young’s Modulus (MPa)
• Strength - Yield, Ultimate, Fracture, Proof, Offset Yield.
Measured as stress (MPa)
• Ductility - Measure of ability to deform plastically
without fracture - Elongation, Area Reduction, Fracture
Strain - (no units or mm/mm)
• Toughness, Resilience - Measure of ability to absorb
energy (J/m
3
).
• Hardness - Resistance to indentation/abrasion (Various
scales, e.g.; Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers.)
Stress and Strain
• In a simplistic sense, stress may be thought
of as Load/Area.
• Similarly, strain is the deformation of the
component/original length.
• A stress may be direct, shear, or torsional -
leading to corresponding deformations.
• Stress cannot be measured directly, but
deformation can be.
Page 3
Mechanical Properties
• Stiffness - Elastic Modulus or Young’s Modulus (MPa)
• Strength - Yield, Ultimate, Fracture, Proof, Offset Yield.
Measured as stress (MPa)
• Ductility - Measure of ability to deform plastically
without fracture - Elongation, Area Reduction, Fracture
Strain - (no units or mm/mm)
• Toughness, Resilience - Measure of ability to absorb
energy (J/m
3
).
• Hardness - Resistance to indentation/abrasion (Various
scales, e.g.; Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers.)
Stress and Strain
• In a simplistic sense, stress may be thought
of as Load/Area.
• Similarly, strain is the deformation of the
component/original length.
• A stress may be direct, shear, or torsional -
leading to corresponding deformations.
• Stress cannot be measured directly, but
deformation can be.
Direct Stress Examples
Load, P
P
Area
Ao
Lo
?L/2
?L/2
Direct Stress - Tension
Load, P
P
Area
Ao
Lo
?L/2
?L/2
Direct Stress - Compression
S ?
P
A
o
e ?
?L
L
o
Engineering Stress
Engineering Strain
Page 4
Mechanical Properties
• Stiffness - Elastic Modulus or Young’s Modulus (MPa)
• Strength - Yield, Ultimate, Fracture, Proof, Offset Yield.
Measured as stress (MPa)
• Ductility - Measure of ability to deform plastically
without fracture - Elongation, Area Reduction, Fracture
Strain - (no units or mm/mm)
• Toughness, Resilience - Measure of ability to absorb
energy (J/m
3
).
• Hardness - Resistance to indentation/abrasion (Various
scales, e.g.; Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers.)
Stress and Strain
• In a simplistic sense, stress may be thought
of as Load/Area.
• Similarly, strain is the deformation of the
component/original length.
• A stress may be direct, shear, or torsional -
leading to corresponding deformations.
• Stress cannot be measured directly, but
deformation can be.
Direct Stress Examples
Load, P
P
Area
Ao
Lo
?L/2
?L/2
Direct Stress - Tension
Load, P
P
Area
Ao
Lo
?L/2
?L/2
Direct Stress - Compression
S ?
P
A
o
e ?
?L
L
o
Engineering Stress
Engineering Strain
Tension Test
Typical Universal
Testing Machine
Extensometer
Measures ?L
Measures P
Page 5
Mechanical Properties
• Stiffness - Elastic Modulus or Young’s Modulus (MPa)
• Strength - Yield, Ultimate, Fracture, Proof, Offset Yield.
Measured as stress (MPa)
• Ductility - Measure of ability to deform plastically
without fracture - Elongation, Area Reduction, Fracture
Strain - (no units or mm/mm)
• Toughness, Resilience - Measure of ability to absorb
energy (J/m
3
).
• Hardness - Resistance to indentation/abrasion (Various
scales, e.g.; Rockwell, Brinell, Vickers.)
Stress and Strain
• In a simplistic sense, stress may be thought
of as Load/Area.
• Similarly, strain is the deformation of the
component/original length.
• A stress may be direct, shear, or torsional -
leading to corresponding deformations.
• Stress cannot be measured directly, but
deformation can be.
Direct Stress Examples
Load, P
P
Area
Ao
Lo
?L/2
?L/2
Direct Stress - Tension
Load, P
P
Area
Ao
Lo
?L/2
?L/2
Direct Stress - Compression
S ?
P
A
o
e ?
?L
L
o
Engineering Stress
Engineering Strain
Tension Test
Typical Universal
Testing Machine
Extensometer
Measures ?L
Measures P
Modern Materials Testing System
Hydraulic
Wedge
Grips
Specimen
Extensometer
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