TENSION TEST
EM 327: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LABORATORY
EXPERIMENT: TENSION TEST
VIDEO TITLE: TENSION TEST
OBJECTIVES:
(1) Obtain a general understanding of how
different materials behave under uniaxial tensile
loading.
(2) Determine and compare material properties
of various materials.
INTRODUCTION:
This experiment will consist of two parts. The
first will serve to introduce the MTS testing
equipment and testing procedures. For the first
experiment, a 0.25-inch nominal diameter hot-
rolled steel sample will be tested to failure. Load-
versus-strain and load-versus-stroke diagrams
will be produced during the test and these
diagrams will subsequently be used to determine
material properties. The second part to this
experiment, which will be performed during the
first laboratory rotation, will consist of similar
tests on aluminum and stainless steel specimens.
The student will learn how to properly conduct a
tension test and obtain the relevant material
properties from the results. Further, the student
will discover how different materials behave
under similar loading conditions as well as how
material properties differ.
BACKGROUND:
Stress is a measure of the intensity of an internal
force. Stress is defined as the force per unit area:
Stress= = Load/Area = P/A [psi]
When a specimen is loaded so that the resultant
force passes through the centroid of the specimen
cross-section, the loading is categorized as axial
and can be either tensile or compressive. Tests
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utilizing axial loading are generally performed to
determine material properties.
When materials for engineering projects are
procured, the engineer often must specify
material property requirements to the
manufacturer. After the material is received it is
generally good practice, if not mandatory, to
perform acceptance tests to verify the material
properties before the materials are used.
Therefore, it is important to understand which
material properties are relevant and how those
properties are obtained.
Results from simple tension tests, similar to the
test described in this experiment, can provide
information from which several material
properties can be determined. The experiments to
be completed for Tension I and Tension II will
illustrate the usefulness of the simple tension test
and demonstrate the mechanical behavior of
different materials. Later tests in this course will
introduce other relevant properties.
Figure 1 shows a typical tensile specimen both
before and after testing. Notice that the cross-
section decreased significantly (necked) at the
failure location, indicating ductile material.
Brittle materials display significantly less necking
and thus the cross-sectional area does not
decrease appreciably prior to failure.
Strain is a measure of the deformation that has
occurred in a material. In the case where the
magnitude of deformation is the same over the
entire length of a body, strain may be defined as:
L f Lo
= [in/in]
Lo
Where: Lo is the initial length
Lf is the final length
For cases where the deformation differs
throughout the body, the lengths Lo and Lf must
 TENSION TEST
EM 327: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LABORATORY

be reduced to a sub-region of the body where the Units: psi

deformation is constant. ELASTIC LIMIT, E: Maximum stress for which
stress will be directly proportional to strain. The
end to the straight-line portion of the stress-strain
curve. Equal to proportional limit.
Units: psi
. .

ELASTIC MODULUS, E: The ratio of stress to

. . strain for the initial straight-line portion of the
stress-strain curve. Determined by:
. B A
.
E=
b A
di
. Units: psi
df
. MODULUS OF RESILIENCE, UR: The
. maximum energy the material will absorb without
inelastic deformation. Equal to the area under the
.
elastic portion of the stress-strain curve.
Determined by:
FIGURE 1
2pl
UR =
2E
A typical stress-strain diagram from a tension test Where pl is the proportional limit,
for hot-rolled steel is shown in Figure 2. This defined later in this section.
diagram provides a great deal of useful
information about the material. The particular Units: (in-lb)/in3
properties are designated on the figure and are
individually discussed in the following list. MODULUS OF TOUGHNESS, UT: Energy per
unit volume required to rupture the material.
Equal to the area under the entire stress-strain
DUCTILITY: Characteristic of a material where
curve. For materials with a stress-strain similar to
the material can undergo large plastic
that shown in Figure 2, a trapezoidal
deformations before fracture, especially in
approximation can be used:
tension.

ENGINEERING FRACTURE STRENGTH: U T = ( pl + ult )(1 2 )(%elongation )(1 100% )

Engineering stress at the point of final fracture. Units: (in-lb)/in3
Units: lb/in2 (psi)
PERCENT ELONGATION: A measure of the
ENGINEERING STRESS, : The load divided deformation at the point of final fracture.
by the initial cross-sectional area. Note that stress Determined by:
based on the initial cross-section decreases
beyond the ultimate strength.

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 TENSION TEST
EM 327: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LABORATORY

L f Lo PERCENT REDUCTION OF AREA: A

Percent elongation = (100%) measurement of the fracture ductility. Defined as:
Lo
%RA = Ao-Af x 100%
Where: Lo is the initial length
Lf is the final length Ao

Generally the percent elongation is obtained after Where: Ao is the initial cross-sectional area
the test by fitting the two halves of the specimen Af is the final cross-sectional area
together and measuring the change in length at the location of fracture.
between two existing punch marks. The percent
Values for %RA range from near zero for brittle
elongation will vary depending on the gage length
materials to high values (approaching 100%) for
(distance between punch marks) used. Therefore
ductile materials which can neck severely at
the gage length should be reported along with the
failure.
percent elongation.
Units: in/in,

Stress-Strain Curve
Typical Sample

Ultimate Strength

Proportional
Limit Yield Strength Fracture
(2% offset) Strength

[psi]

0.002 0.004 [in/in]

FIGURE 2

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 TENSION TEST
EM 327: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LABORATORY
PROPORTIONAL LIMIT, pl : Engineering
stress at the point where the straight-line portion
of the stress-strain curves ends. It is the limiting
value for which the stresses and strains are
proportional to one another. Some materials do
not have a well-defined proportional limit and in
many cases the value may vary with the judgment
of the engineer and the precision of the scale of
the graph. Equal to the elastic limit.
Units: psi
TANGENT MODULUS, Et: Slope of the stress-
strain curve at a particular stress level.
Units: psi
ULTIMATE STRENGTH, ult: Highest
engineering stress reached at any time during the
test. Also known as the tensile (or compressive)
strength.
Units: psi
TRUE STRESS, : Load divided by the actual
cross-sectional area of the specimen at the
particular load level.
Units: psi
TRUE FRACTURE STRESS, f: Load at
fracture divided by the final cross-sectional area.
Note that the true stress increases until rupture
occurs due to the decrease in the cross-sectional
area (referred to as necking).
Units: psi
YIELD STRENGTH, y: Engineering stress that
causes a specified amount of permanent strain.
The specified permanent strain is referred to as
the offset or permanent set. The most commonly
used offset is 0.002 in/in or 0.2%. The magnitude
of the offset should be reported with the value of
the yield strength. The method followed is to
draw a line parallel to the initial slope of the
stress-strain curve, but offset by a specified
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amount of strain. The point at which this line
intersects the stress-strain curve is the yield point
at the specified offset. Yield strength is a
particularly useful measurement for materials
with no definite proportional limit.
Some materials exhibit a decrease in stress
in the yield region, or a yield drop, as shown in
Figure 3. In such cases it is common to report an
upper yield strength which is the highest stress
reached prior to the drop; and a lower yield
strength which is the lowest stress reached before
the stress again begins to increase. Mild steel is
the most common material to exhibit a yield drop.
The upper yield stress is dependent on such
factors as the alignment of the specimen in the
grips of the machine and the rate at which the
specimen is loaded. Poor alignment or very slow
loading rates may result in no yield drop and
initial yielding may begin around the value the
lower yield point would have in a standard test.
Units: psi
Yield Drop
UY
PL
0.2
, Stress, psi
LY
, Strain, in/in
FIGURE 3
MATERIAL TO BE TESTED:
Tension testing will be performed on a total of
three materials:
Hot-Rolled Steel (SAE 1020)
Stress-proof Steel
Aluminum (6061-T6)
All three materials will be provided in the form of
0.25-inch nominal diameter rods cut to 12-inch
lengths.
 TENSION TEST
EM 327: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LABORATORY

EQUIPMENT TO BE USED: 1.) Create specimen file tens*.

MTS Testing Machine (20,000-lb Capacity) 2.) Install Specimen in lower grip. Leave upper
Extensometer (0.2 in/in Capacity) grip open.
3.) Install Extensometer onto specimen.
SAFETY CONSIDERATIONS: 4.) Pull Pin out of Extensometer.
Never operate machine when someone's hands are 5.) Close upper grip.
between the grips. Make sure all lab participants
6.) Measure the distance between the grips
are clear of equipment before beginning or
(gage length).
resuming testing.
7.) 'AUTO OFFSET' Strain.
8.) Start the scope.
PROCEDURE:
9.) Lock MPT and select specimen.
SPECIMEN PREPARATIONS: 10.) Press 'RUN'. Let the test proceed through
elastic range until yielding is clearly present
The diameter of each specimen must be measured
on the scope.
and recorded. Punch marks must be made at 2
inch intervals along each sample. These should be 11.) Press 'Pause' (1st operator button) to halt
measured and recorded after making the punch loading once yielding begins. (Do not allow
marks. more that 0.005in/in strain)
12.) Replace pin in Extensometer and remove
DATA REQUIREMENTS: Extensometer from specimen.
The student will need to produce a stress-versus- 13.) Press 'Continue' (2nd operator button) and
strain curve for all three specimens on one graph. let test run to failure.
14.) Once failure occurs, press 'STOP'.
MTS SET-UP 15.) Remove specimen pieces from grips.
1.) Follow Start- up Procedures 16.) Unlock MPT and adjust SET POINT to 0.0.
Station Manager tension 17.) Measure distance between punch marks and
final diameter at location of failure.
MPT tension.000
18.) Repeat procedure for additional specimens
2.) Turn hydraulics on.
19.) Turn hydraulics off.
3.) Make sure the 'MANUAL OFFSET' = 0 for
Stroke. 16.) Copy data files to diskette.
4.) Adjust 'SET POINT'' to 0.0 c:\em327data\tens*\specimen.dat
5.) 'AUTO OFFSET' Load 17.) Delete specimen tens*.
6.) Set-up Scope to plot a/b.
Load 500 lbf 2000 POST TESTING PROCEDURE:
Stroke 0.1 in 0.5 1.) Record final punch mark distances and
diameter at the failure section on the data
Time 15 min
sheet.
2.) Indicate where the failure occurred, on the
data sheet.

TESTING PROCEDURE:
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 TENSION TEST
EM 327: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LABORATORY

REPORT: Toughness for the three materials was

accompanied by increasing percent reduction
The report outline found in Appendix A should in area and decreasing Modulus of
be used for all formal reports handed in for Resilience).
EM327.
QUESTIONS:
REPORT REQUIREMENTS: 1. Chances are that the specimens failed
For each of the three materials tested; somewhere other than directly in the middle.
What determines where a specimen fails?
1. Determine and tabulate the following
properties: 2. For the steel specimen compare the stress in
a. Proportional Limit the bar at rupture, as computed from the area
at the break, with the ultimate strength. Why
b. Yield Strength
isn't the actual area of the fractured cross-
c. Ultimate Strength section a suitable basis for defining strength?
d. Modulus of Elasticity 3. Why is it often difficult to evaluate the elastic
e. Percent elongation for each 2" gage limit?
length between punch marks (including 4. What is the effect of poor alignment of the
the segment containing the failure) and for specimen? Why does a specimen that is
the largest combined gage length (6"or8") properly aligned provide a more accurate
inside the grip markings. estimate of the tensile strength compared to
f. Percent reduction in area the estimate provided from results from a test
g. Modulus of Resilience where the specimen was not accurately
aligned?
h. Modulus of Toughness
5. Why would a stress-strain diagram be
i. True Fracture Strength preferable to a load-elongation diagram for
2. Compare b,c, and d to reference values found presenting the results of a tension test?
in Appendix B. by calculating the percentage 6. Why is it important to know the gage length
error. when using percent elongation information?
3. Discuss possible reasons for the 7. Explain why the percent elongation in a 2
discrepancies in (2). inch gage section may exceed that of an 8
4. Provide stress versus strain plot, inch gage section.
appropriately labeled, for all three specimens 8. Can any conclusions be drawn regarding the
tested. (Refer to Appendix A for example). possible effect of the punch marks on the
5. Discuss the consistency of the percent strength of the bar at the punched sections?
elongation measurements using different gage 9. Can the elongation of a specimen be
sections. Comment on the possible reasons determined accurately by measuring the
for discrepancies obtained for a given movement of the test machine cross head?
specimen. Why?
6. Briefly summarize, in words, the similarities
and differences in material properties for the
three materials tested. When observed,
present relationships between various
material properties for the three materials
tested (example: increasing Modulus of

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 TENSION TEST
EM 327: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS LABORATORY

EXAMPLE DATA

The data obtained from the MTS machine is similar to the following data set.
Data Acquisition Linear Region Time: 55.541504
Axial Load Axial Strain Axial Stroke
kip in/in in
0.62910855 1.846371e-004 2.8323776e-003
1.1272926 3.8605928e-004 5.1649134e-003
1.6147344 5.8748142e-004 7.6640593e-003
2.1035187 7.8890362e-004 1.0329815e-002
2.5761893 9.903257e-004 1.3162179e-002

Data Acquisition Non-Liniear Region Time: 112.58374

Axial Stroke Axial Load
in kip
0.10663022 8.5020294
0.15677974 8.6430254
0.20692927 8.6557817
0.25707877 8.6309404
0.3072283 8.5846128
0.3573778 8.4765158
0.40752733 7.5587025
0.45767686 -5.3712581e-003

Data Acquisition Ultimate Load Time: 112.5918

Sec
Axial Load Axial Stroke
kip in
8.6584673 0.46100906
-1.8738974 5.6147482e-002

GRAPHS

In order to make the stress versus strain graphs for each specimen, the student must use both the linear
and non-linear data.

The load must be converted to the normal stress, , using the following equation.

Load
=
Areainitial

For the linear region, the strain can be taken directly from the data.

For the non-linear region, the stroke must be converted to strain, , using the following equation.

Stroke
=
Lengthinitial

Put all three specimens on the same graph in order to compare the different materials. Be sure to include
a legend and label the axis.

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