MATERIAL SCIENCES AND

ENGINEERING FOR M.E.

LABORATORY
Module 1: Determination of Tensile
Strength

ME 260: INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING MATERIALS 1.1

 Table of Content
Module 1A: Determination of Tensile
Strength

Course Learning Outcomes

Format for the Laboratory Report
Notes to the Laboratory Group Report
Group class Report Topic Assignment
Objectives & Safety Measures
Procedures
Specimen Dimension
Tension Test

ME 260: INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING MATERIALS 1.2

 Course Learning Outcomes
At the end of the term, students can:

 Able to have skills and competency in

determining the mechanical and physical
properties of sample specimen by requiring
students to perform the actual test which are
significantly related to the required skills in the
industry.

ME 260: INTRODUCTION TO ENGINEERING MATERIALS 1.3

 Format for the Laboratory Report
1. Cover Page – Course Code, Subject, Program Code,
Experiment No. ___, title of the Experiment, Group No.,
Group Member’s names, Date Submitted.
2. Table of Contents:
2.1 Objective/s;
2.2 Materials and Apparatus
2.3 Procedure/s
2.4 Safety Precautions
2.5 Theory / Concepts / Principles – Research
Laboratory related information
2.6 Experimental Set-Up
2.7 Questions / Problems
2.8 Answers / Solutions (Computations)
2.9 Conclusion and Recommendation (If necessary)
2.9 References ex. Moises, P. 3rd ed. Fundamental of
Refrigeration. NY: McGraw-Hill Publications Co.
 Notes to the Laboratory Group Report
1. Follow strictly the format for the laboratory Group Report.
2. Include photos / pictures, charts and diagrams, etc. for clarity
and illustrations.
3. Be sure to many all figures stated in item #2 above to be
mentioned in the discussion I the report.
Ex. In the procedure, include photos / pictures on how the
experiment is being conducted (step by step)
Include pictures of the materials and equipment used in the
experiment.
4. Submit via soft copy or hard copy depending on the
circumstances.
5. No hand written report and all pages must be typewritten.
6. The class president shall prepare the groupings.
 Notes to the Laboratory Group Report
1. Follow strictly the format for the laboratory Group Report.
2. Include photos / pictures, charts and diagrams, etc. for clarity
and illustrations.
3. Be sure to many all figures stated in item #2 above to be
mentioned in the discussion I the report.
Ex. In the procedure, include photos / pictures on how the
experiment is being conducted (step by step)
Include pictures of the materials and equipment used in the
experiment.
4. Submit via soft copy or hard copy depending on the
circumstances.
5. No hand written report and all pages must be typewritten.
6. The class president shall prepare the groupings.
 Group Class Report Topic Assignment
Group no. 1 – Members: ________, _______, _______, _______
Experiment No. 1 – Determination of Tensile Strength
Group no. 2 – Members: ________, _______, _______, _______
Experiment No. 2 – Determination of Compressive Strength and
Buckling
Group no. 3 – Members: ________, _______, _______, _______
Experiment No. 3 – Hardness Test Determination
Group no. 4 – Members: ________, _______, _______, _______
Experiment No. 4 – Heat Treatment of Steel
Group no. 5 – Members: ________, _______, _______, _______
Experiment No. 5 – Study of Testing Machine
Group no. 6 – Members: ________, _______, _______, _______
Experiment No. 6 – Testing of Steel Bars
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength

OBJECTIVES:
1. To be able to acquire basic knowledge and skills in
determining the tensile strength of steel round bar by
requiring students to perform the actual test which are
significantly related to the required skills in industry.
SAFETY MEASURES:
1. The instructor must orient the students in proper handling
of tools prior to actual processing to avoid accidents.
2. Do’s and don’ts must be fully emphasized.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
BASIC CONCEPTS:
DEFINITION OF TERMS
EQUIPMENT:
Universal Testing Machine
MATERIAL:
Round steel bar with standard dimension based
on internationally established size. Please refer
to attached drawing.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
PROCEDURE:
1. Machine the prescribed dimensions on the actual
material using lathe machine.
2. Set the round steel bar to the clamping portion of the
UTM, put spacer if necessary.
3. Input the material diameter of the test piece into the UTM
machine computer.
4. Switch the hydraulic power on and push the button to
move the clamp upward.
5. Wait until the round bar has been cut.
6. Inspect the actual cut bar and record the load shown in
the computer monitor when the bar was cut.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
PROCEDURE: (Cont’n)
7. Compute the tensile strength of the round steel bar by
the formula : stress = force/area Where area =
(3.1416x d2) / 4
Force = actual force recorded in the computer when the
bar breaks.
SAFETY PRECAUTION:
1. Always follow the lab technician instruction in operating
the UTM.
2. Move away and keep safe distance from the machine
while the tensile test is ongoing.
3. Never touch any part of the machine or the test piece
during testing operation.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
PROCEDURE: (Cont’n)
7. Compute the tensile strength of the round steel bar by
the formula : stress = force/area Where area =
(3.1416x d2) / 4
Force = actual force recorded in the computer when the
bar breaks.
SAFETY PRECAUTION:
1. Always follow the lab technician instruction in operating
the UTM.
2. Move away and keep safe distance from the machine
while the tensile test is ongoing.
3. Never touch any part of the machine or the test piece
during testing operation.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
SPECIMEN DIMENSION:
Two typical standard test
specimen used for determining
the tensile properties of a
material are shown in Fihure 1.
In view (a) to be tested is 0.505
inch in diameter, or 0.2 in2 in
area. The specimen is
enlarged at each end of the
test section so that it can be
held properly in the testing
machine.
Figure 1- Specimen
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST:
To determine how a material behave under the application of
tensile forces, a specimen of material under consideration is
made into a suitable test piece to which known tensile loads
maybe applied and on which deformation can be measured.
From such a test the mechanical properties of the material in
tension can be determined.
Two typical standard tension test specimens used for determining
the tensile properties of a material are shown in Fig. 1. In Fig. 1
(a), the section to be tested is 0.505 in. in diameter, or 0.2 in.2 in
area. The specimen is enlarge at each end of the test section so
that it can be held properly in the testing machine. The change in
cross section of the specimen should be abrupt. The specimen
must be machined smoothly.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)
The specimen is gripped in a universal testing machine as
shown in Fig. 2. The specimen can be elongated and on
which the forces required to cause this elongation can be
measured.
The extension of the test specimen is measured with an
instrument called extensometer (Fig. 3) which contain two
measuring points the clamp the specimen at the gage
points. The deformation may also be determined by means
of resistance-sensitive wire strain gages cemented to the
specimen. Readings of the extensometer, or strain gage ,
give the extension of the specimen over the gage length.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)
The specimen is gripped in a universal testing machine as
shown in Fig. 2. The specimen can be elongated and on
which the forces required to cause this elongation can be
measured.
The extension of the test specimen is measured with an
instrument called extensometer (Fig. 3) which contain two
measuring points the clamp the specimen at the gage
points. The deformation may also be determined by means
of resistance-sensitive wire strain gages cemented to the
specimen. Readings of the extensometer, or strain gage ,
give the extension of the specimen over the gage length.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)

Figure 3 - Extensiometer

Figure 4 - UTM
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)
Stress:
When the material is placed in the
state of strain resulting from the
application of external load, the
atoms making up the structure of
the material are displaced
somewhat from their equilibrium
positions. If atoms are made to
come closer than they should be or
are moved further apart than their
structure will normally allow,
Figure 5- UTM Grippers internal forces are established
which tends to restore the atoms to
their original positions.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)
The test is started by slowly pulling apart the two jaws in the
specimen is clamped. Values of load, deformation, and diameter
are determined simultaneously. Recording of such data is
continued until the specimen failed. The data from the tension test
of a ductile material are given in Table 1. These data are plotted in
Fig. 6. The diagram shown in Fig 6 is known as “engineering
stress-strain diagrams, in which the engineering stress and strain
are plotted as abscissa and ordinate, resp. The stresses are
computed by dividing the load by the initial area of the specimen,
i.e., the area at the beginning of the test. The diameter of the cross
section decreases appreciably as elongation occurs Therefore, the
stress based on the initial area of the specimen will not give a true
stress.
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)
The true specimen acting on the specimen at any instant is computed by
dividing the load acting at that instant by the actual cross-sectional area.
The true stress is expressed as Ɛ’ = (l – lo)/lo where lo and l are the initial
and final infinitesimal gage lengths. Sometimes Ɛ’ is called the Mean
Strain, but it is the zero gage

Figure 7 – Stress-Strain
diagram for Mild Steel
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)
The true specimen acting on the specimen at any instant is computed by
dividing the load acting at that instant by the actual cross-sectional area.
The true stress is expressed as Ɛ’ = (l – lo)/lo where lo and l are the initial
and final infinitesimal gage lengths. Sometimes Ɛ’ is called the Mean
Strain, but it is the zero gage

Figure 7 – Stress-Strain
diagram for Mild Steel
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)
Table 1 – Lof of a Tension Test of Mild
Steel
 Experiment No. 1
Determination of Tensile Strength
TENSION TEST: (Cont’n)

Figure 10 – True-stress
vs True-strain or
Physical Stress-Strain
Diagram for Mild Steel