Model Description This simple demonstration depicts how moments (and forces) result in bending of a beam and how the deformation is related to the assumptions associated with elastic beam behavior. A foam beam with vertical lines (black lines) and a horizontal line drawn along the neutral axis (red line) for a rectangular beam is used […]
Model Description This is a simple demonstration of the basic principles underlying the elastic and plastic behavior of materials subjected to an axial load. The demonstration can also be used to show the highlight the elastic and plastic portions of stress-strain curves. This demonstration should take 8-10 minutes. Engineering Principle The basic definitions for stress, […]
Model Description This is a simple demonstration of the basic principles underlying the behavior of materials subjected to an axial load. The demonstration can also be used to show the usefulness of stress-strain curves versus load-deformation curves. This demonstration should take 10 minutes. Engineering Principle The basic definitions for deformation and strain: where the axial […]
Model Description These figures demonstrate the two phases of a shape memory alloy which enables shape memory alloys to “memorize” their pre-deformed shape, even after large deformations. This demonstration should take 15 minutes. Engineering Principle The shape memory effect occurs due to a phase transition between the original, or memorized, austenite phase to a deformed […]
Model Description This is a simple demonstration to illustrate initial deformation, primary creep and secondary creep of a material subjected to a constant load over time. Students can observe a phenomenon over a few days that often takes years to complete. Students can compute the steady state creep rate and gain an appreciation for the […]
Model Description Knife blades are typically very hard and brittle. In this rapid and inexpensive demonstration, the structure of a steel knife blade is transformed through simple heating and the blade becomes capable of sustaining large deformations without rupture. This demonstration should take 5-7 minutes. Engineering Principle Knife blades are typically made of steels with […]
Model Description: This is a simple demonstration of the phases of a collision for central impact. Two squeeze balls are used to show the phases. This demonstration should take 3-5 minutes. Engineering Principle: Two objects in a head-on or rear-end collision (“central impact”) will deform as they collide. At the time of maximum deformation, they […]
Overview This is a simple demonstration of the basic principals underlying the behavior of thin-walled pressure vessels (TWPVs). A balloon or balloons are used to show that hoop stresses are twice as high as longitudinal stresses in cylindrical pressure vessels. Principle The basic derivation for TWPV behavior states that for a cylindrical pressure vessel […]