A tension test measures the force a material can tolerate before breaking. The test is conducted using a mechanical instrument and graphs are used to identify the material’s strength. Principles like Hooke’s Law and yield strength help interpret results. The test is conducted on samples of the material and is used to choose materials for applications, monitor product quality, and analyze construction materials.
A tension test is a mechanical test that measures how much force a material can tolerate, before it tears or breaks when pulled. Materials such as metal, rubber, plastic or fiber can be tested using a universal mechanical test instrument or other types of tensile testing machines. The test rig can be adjusted to provide the desired amount of force and based on material life. Graphs are used to identify at what strength level a material fails and what its ultimate tensile strength is, such as the strongest load exerted on the material during the test.
Principles that help scientists interpret the results of a tension test include “Hooke’s Law,” which describes how force correlates with how a material stretches during a test. The area on a graph where the two variables match is referred to as linear. The stiffness of the material, called the modulus of elasticity, is identifiable while the material still retains its integrity after being subjected to loading. The material is permanently weathered when it reaches its elastic limit, even when the load is removed. At this point a graphic line will change direction from the straight and consistent path found at the beginning of the test.
Yield strength is when a material begins to show deformation under load during a tensile test. Strain can be measured as the ratio of how the length changes during the test to its previous length, or as the length at a given time during the test. Tensile testing systems are operated by clamping the material in the machine and activating the cross heads in the machine to apply force. The speed of application of force can be adjusted. Sometimes the temperature is also adjusted to determine how the material responds to loads in hot or cold weather.
When a material is tensile tested, it is prepared in samples that take the form of cylinders or flat plates. Threads and fibers that are in the form of a tube are tested in their regular shape using the appropriate grips in tensile testing machines. Material tests are conducted by engineers who have to choose a material for an application, in manufacturing to monitor the quality of products and to analyze the strength of materials used in construction. A voltage test also helps researchers see how long a product, under specific conditions, can last before it is no longer usable.
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