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AERO 2247 SOLID MECHANICS & MATERIALS 1

HOME QUIZ 1: ENGINEERING MATERIALS
This Home Quiz 1 is due by 16:00 on Friday 31 August 2012. Please submit your assignment
in person at the SAMME reception in Building 57.

No late submissions will be accepted unless an application for extension (in writing
and on the approved form) has been lodged and approved by Dr Kandare before the
submission date of Friday 31 August 2012 .
Total possible: 50 points contributing 5% to the final score in Materials Module

TOPIC 1: INTRODUCTION TO MATERIALS

These questions may seem difficult since we just introduced the topic; however, they
are designed to initiate thinking about engineering materials.
1.

In less than 150 words, explain what is meant by the term, materials
science. [2 marks]

Materials science involves understanding the composition and structure of materials.

Through the investigation of these relationships to materials properties, we can
formulate various examples of how materials control these properties over a series
of instances. The aim of this field is to understand how the physical, mechanical and
other properties are controlled over difference length scales from the atomic size
right through to the final product. From this knowledge, it is then possible to
manipulate the composition and structure of materials in order to improve their
properties which can then be utilized to various degrees in engineering design.

2.

Explain the difference between the terms materials science and materials
engineering[2 marks]

In materials science, the emphasis is on the underlying relationships between the

synthesis, processing, structure and properties of materials. In materials engineering,
the focus is on how to translate or transform materials into useful structures, while
aiming to maintain the selected materials properties and performance over its
operating life.

3.

Conduct an Internet and/or textbook search in order to determine what

specific material is used in the manufacturing of wind turbine blades. What are
the specific properties possessed by this material? [5 marks]

TOPIC 2: MATERIAL PROPERTIES

The questions in this section are designed to test your knowledge and develop your
expertise in calculating mechanical properties of engineering materials.
4.

A steel bar, 100 mm long and with a square cross-section of 20 mm x 20 mm

is pulled in tension with a load of 89,000 N and experiences an elongation of 0.1
mm. Assuming that the deformation is entirely elastic, calculate the elastic
modulus of the steel bar. [2 marks]

5.

For a bronze alloy, the stress at which plastic deformation begins is 275 MPa
and the modulus of elasticity is 115 GPa.

(a) What is the maximum load that may be applied to a specimen with a crosssectional area of 325 mm2 without plastic deformation? [2 marks]
(b) If the original specimen length is 115 mm, what is the maximum length to
which it may be stretched without causing plastic deformation? [2 marks]

6.

Explain the following terms:

(a) Elastic limit

(b) Engineering stress

(c) Engineering strain

(d) Offset strain value [4 marks]

7.

A cylindrical specimen of aluminium having a diameter of 12.8 mm and a gauge

length of 50.800 mm is pulled in tension. Use the load-extension data given in
the table below to complete parts (a) to (f).
Load

Length

(N)

(mm)

50.800

7330

50.851

1510
0

50.902

2310
0

50.952

3040
0

51.003

3440

51.054
5

0
3840
0

51.308

4130
0

51.816

4480
0

52.832

4620
0

53.848

4730
0

54.864

4750
0

55.880

4610
0

56.896

4480
0

57.658

4260
0

58.420

3640
0

59.182

(a) On the graph provided on the next page, plot the data as engineering
stress versus engineering strain. [4 marks]

!Some of the calculations below require you to assume that the final
diameter of the alloy is 12 mm at fracture!
(b) Compute the modulus of elasticity.

(c) Determine the yield strength at a strain offset of 0.002.

(d) Determine the ultimate tensile strength of this alloy.

(e) What is the approximate ductility, in percent elongation?

(f) Calculate the percent reduction in area at fracture. [5 marks]

TOPIC 3: STRENGTHENING MECHANISMS OF METALS

The questions in this section are designed to test your knowledge and develop your
expertise in strengthening mechanisms of metals and alloys.
8.

In this course we have learnt that metal alloys can be strengthened by several
mechanisms, including: (a) strain hardening, (b) grain boundary hardening, (c)
precipitation hardening, and (d) solid solution hardening. Provide an explanation
of each of these hardening processes. In your description, you must explain how
the hardening process increases the strength of metals. [8 marks]

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9.

Point defects are present in the crystal structure of metals, and affect
mechanical properties such as yield strength. The three most common types of
point defects are called vacancies, interstitial defects and substitutional
defects. Describe each of these three types of point defects. [6 marks]

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10.

The strength of titanium is found to be 450 MPa when the grain size is 17 x
10-6 m and 565 MPa when the grain size is 0.8 x 10-6 m. Determine:
(a) the constants (k and 0) in the Hall-Petch equation, and

(b) the strength of the titanium alloy with grain size 0.2 x 10-6 m. [3 marks]

11.

Answer the following questions with Increase, Decrease or

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remain unchanged:
Cold-working (or strain hardening) a metal causes:
(a) its yield strength to
(b) its ductility to
(c) the concentration of dislocations in it to
(d) its elastic modulus to
(e) the size of the grains to [5 marks]

# End of Home Quiz 1 #

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