Stress measurement

Competency Group: Material Science

Type: Measure Hardware

Description: Stress is measured by the formula Stress = Force/Area. E.g. How much external force can be applied to a cross sectional area of a material. For both stress and strain measurement it is important to see how a material behaves when it is subjected to a force whereat is compressed or elongated. At some point with most material there will be a point when a sample of the material will break. This gives the upper limits of physical properties of a material.

Citation for Description: Description by authors

Units: N/m2

Advantages: Important to know how pliable and durable a material is. Important to know that the modulus of elasticity of a material can be given as stress/strain.

Limitations: The stress measurement can be a property that is not constant for all shapes and sizes of a material.

Regulations: ASTM International. (n.d.). ASTM C749 - 08(2010)e1 Standard Test Method for Tensile Stress-Strain of Carbon and Graphite. Retrieved from http://www.astm.org/Standards/C749.htm

Target Audience: Engineering, R&D

Relevant to Universal Design: No

Stages and Steps: 2.2, 4.2, 4.3, 4.12, 7.1, 7.2

Free Resource: Engineers Edge. (2012). Stress — Strength ( Mechanics ) of Materials. Retrieved from http://www.engineersedge.com/material_science/stress_definition.htm

Free Resource: MatWeb Material Property Data (2012). Compressive Strength Testing of Plastics. Retrieved from http://www.matweb.com/reference/compressivestrength.aspx