Practice Problem Set #1 MECH 321 January 2018

Question 1:

The stress-strain curve for a super alloy is shown in the figure below (the inset graph is an expanded
demonstration of the elastic portion of the same graph). Using this figure, determine the following for a
cylindrical specimen of this material that has an initial diameter and length of 12.8 and 50.8 mm
respectively.

a) The modulus of elasticity.

b) The yield strength at 0.2% strain offset.
c) The tensile strength.
d) The ductility is terms of percent elongation.
e) The modulus of resilience.
f) The permanent change in length of the specimen after it has been subjected to a load of 350 MPa.

Solution:

a) The elastic modulus is the slope of the linear section of the stress-strain curve:
Δ𝜎 170𝑀𝑀𝑀 − 0𝑀𝑀𝑀
𝐸= = = 170,000𝑀𝑀𝑀 = 170𝐺𝐺𝐺
Δ𝜖 0.001 − 0
b) Using the inset graph, draw a line parallel to the elastic (linear) part of the graph, passing through
strain=0.002. The yield strength is the stress at the point this line intercepts the curve.
𝜎𝑦 ≈ 275𝑀𝑀𝑀
c) The tensile strength is the maximum (peak) of the stress-strain curve:
𝜎𝑇𝑇 ≈ 410𝑀𝑀𝑀
Practice Problem Set #1 MECH 321 January 2018

d) The ductility, in percent elongation, is equal to the plastic strain at fracture, multiplied by one-
hundred. The plastic strain at fracture can be determine by drawing a line parallel to the elastic
section, intercepting the fracture point (i.e. the last point) of the graph and finding the value of
plastic strain from horizontal axis. In this case:
𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝𝑝 𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠𝑠 𝑎𝑎 𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓𝑓, 𝜖𝑝 ≈ 0.18 ∴ %𝐸𝐸 = 0.18 × 100 = 18%
e) The modulus of resilience is:
𝜎𝑦 2 (275 × 106 𝑃𝑃)2
𝑈𝑟 = = = 222,426.5 𝑃𝑃 𝑜𝑜 𝐽/𝑚3
2𝐸 2 × 170 × 109 𝑃𝑃
f) According to the graph, at 350 MPa stress the corresponding total strain is approximately 0.01. On
the other hand the amount of elastic strain is approximately 0.002. The plastic (permanent) strain is
the difference between these two values i.e. 0.008. Thus:
∆𝑙 = 𝜖𝑝 𝑙0 = 0.008 × 50.8 = 0.4 𝑚𝑚

Question 2:

For a brass alloy, the following engineering stresses produce the corresponding plastic engineering
strains, prior to necking:

Engineering Stress(MPa) Engineering Strain

235 0.194
250 0.296
On the basis of this information, compute the engineering stress necessary to produce an engineering
strain of 0.25.

Solution:

For this problem we first need to convert engineering stresses and strains to true stresses and strains so
that the constants K and n in Equation (6.19) may be determined.

Since σT = σ(1 + Ɛ) then

σT1 = (235 MPa)(1 + 0.194) = 280 MPa

σT2 = (250 MPa)(1 + 0.296) = 324 MPa

Similarly for strains, since ƐT = ln(1 + Ɛ) then

ƐT1 = ln(1 + 0.194) = 0.177

ƐT2= ln(1 + 0.296) = 0.259

Taking the logarithm of Equation (6.19), we get: log σT = log K + n log ƐT

which allows us to set up two simultaneous equations for the above pairs of true stresses and true
strains, with K and n as unknowns. Thus

log(280) = log K + n log(0.177)

log(324) = log K + n log(0.259)

Practice Problem Set #1 MECH 321 January 2018

Solving for these two expressions yields K = 543 MPa and n = 0.383.

Now, converting Ɛ= 0.25 to true strain, ƐT = ln(1 + 0.25) = 0.223

The corresponding σT to give this value of ƐT is just

σT = K ƐTn = (543 MPa)(0.223)0.383 = 306 MPa

306 MPa
Now converting this σT to an engineering stress: σ = σT/1+ Ɛ = 1 + 0.25 = 245 MPa

Question 3:

A cylindrical specimen of a hypothetical metal alloy is stressed in compression. If its original and final
diameters are 20.000 and 20.025 mm, respectively, and its final length is 74.96 mm, compute its original
length if the deformation is totally elastic. The elastic and shear moduli for this alloy are 105 GPa and
39.7 GPa, respectively.

Solution:

It is first convenient to compute the lateral strain εx as

In order to determine the longitudinal strain εz we need Poisson's ratio, which may be computed using
Equation 6.9; solving for ν yields

Now εz may be computed from Equation 6.8 as

Now solving for l0 using Equation 6.2

Practice Problem Set #1 MECH 321 January 2018

Question 4:
Estimate the Brinell and Rockwell hardnesses for the
following materials using the graph on the right.

a) The naval brass for which the stress–strain

behavior is shown in the Figure below on the left.

b) The steel alloy for which the stress–strain behavior

is shown in Figure below on the right.

Solution:
a) For the brass specimen, the stress-strain behavior for which is shown in Figure, the tensile strength is
450 MPa. From the first Figure, the hardness for brass corresponding to this tensile strength is about
125 HB or 70 HRB.
b) The steel alloy has a tensile strength of about 515 MPa. This corresponds to a hardness of about 160
HB or ~90 HRB from the line for steels in the first Figure.