3.4  Materials

 

3.4.1  Springs

 

Learners should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of:

 

(a) tensile and compressive deformation; extension and compression

 

(b) Hooke’s law

 

(c) force constant k of a spring or wire; F = kx

 

(d) (i) force–extension (or compression) graphs for springs and wires

 

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(ii) techniques and procedures used to investigate force–extension characteristics for arrangements which may include springs, rubber bands, polythene strips.

 

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3.4.2  Mechanical properties of matter

 

Learners should be able to demonstrate and apply their knowledge and understanding of:

(a) force–extension (or compression) graph; work done is area under graph

 

(b) elastic potential energy;

 

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(c) stress, strain and ultimate tensile strength

 

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(d) (i) Young modulus = tensile strain / tensile stress  ,

 

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(ii) techniques and procedures used to determine the Young modulus for a metal PAG2

There are lots of things to measure in this experiment so it is a good one for asking about uncertainties!  Make sure you are clear about what you actually measure and what you calculate.

 

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(e) stress–strain graphs for typical ductile, brittle and polymeric materials

 

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(f) elastic and plastic deformations of materials.

 

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General questions on the topic as a whole

 

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