Virtual Lab Tension Test
ELASTIC DEFORMATION IN MATERIALS
The Tension Test
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A typical continuum response of a steel tensile specimen (steel is the most common ferrous metal used in engineering structures) to monotonically increasing tensile load is shown in Figure 1a. The applied stress is shown with the resulting strain. The mechanical response of a non-ferrous material, such as aluminum, is similar to ferrous materials except that it does not display a well-defined yield point, as shown in Figure 1b.
Figure 1a. Schematic stress – strain diagram for mild steel
Figure 1b. Schematic stress – strain diagram for aluminum
To fully utilize the potential of a material in a structure, the designer must understand both the elastic and plastic deformation, and the stress – strain response over both regions.