Mechanical Properties of Metals (week 4)

This episode explores how metals respond to stress and strain, focusing on tensile testing methods and the equipment used to measure deformation and fracture. It explains elastic and plastic deformation at the atomic level, distinguishing between reversible and permanent changes. Key concepts such as engineering and true stress-strain are introduced, along with the stress-strain curve as a tool for evaluating mechanical properties like stiffness, yield strength, and tensile strength. The episode concludes with an overview of hardness testing as a simpler method for assessing a metal’s resistance to indentation.