Measurement of Properties: Tensile Test, Hardness, Electrical Transport and Thermal Analysis
True stress and true strain, and necking
The true stress divides the load by the instantaneous area, σ_t = F/A, and the true strain adds up the increments, ε_t = ∫dL/L = ln(L/L₀). Plastic flow conserves volume, A L = A₀ L₀, as long as the deformation is uniform along the gauge. Then A = A₀/(1 + e) and σ_t = σ(1 + e), ε_t = ln(1 + e). These conversions are valid only up to the UTS; after necking starts the strain is concentrated in the neck and the gauge-length ratio no longer describes it (the neck area must be measured instead, ε_t = ln(A₀/A)).
In the plastic range many metals follow σ_t = K ε_t^n, where n is the strain-hardening exponent. The load is F = σ_t A. Necking starts when an increase in strain hardening no longer compensates the loss of area, dF = 0, i.e. dσ_t/dε_t = σ_t (the Considère criterion). For the power law this gives ε_t = n at necking, equivalently e = eⁿ − 1 in engineering strain. After the UTS the engineering stress falls because the load falls, yet the true stress still rises: the fall is geometric, not a loss of strength.
Area under the curve: resilience and toughness
The area under the stress-strain curve is energy absorbed per unit volume (Pa × 1 = J/m³). Up to yield, with σ = Ee, it is a triangle: the modulus of resilience U_r = ½ σ_y e_y = σ_y²/2E, the energy recovered on unloading. The area up to fracture is the toughness (tensile toughness), the energy needed to break a unit volume. For a ductile metal it is roughly the average of σ_y and UTS times the strain to fracture; for a brittle material the curve ends at a small strain, so the area is small.
Hardness: Brinell, Rockwell and Vickers
Hardness is resistance to permanent indentation. Brinell presses a hard ball of diameter D with load P (commonly D = 10 mm and P = 3000 kgf for steels) and measures the diameter d of the circular impression: HB = 2P/[πD(D − √(D² − d²))] in kgf/mm², the load divided by the curved area of the cap. A valid test keeps d between 0.25D and 0.5D. Rockwell is depth-based: a minor load (10 kgf) seats the indenter, a major load is applied and removed, and the permanent extra depth h is converted to a number, HR = N − h/0.002 mm, with N = 100 for diamond-cone scales and 130 for ball scales; a deeper dent means a softer sample and a lower number. Vickers uses a square-based diamond pyramid with 136° between opposite faces and measures the mean diagonal d of the impression: HV = 2F sin 68°/d² = 1.854 F/d² (F in kgf, d in mm).
| Test | Indenter and load | What is measured | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brinell HB | Ball 10 mm, 500 to 3000 kgf | Impression diameter | Large impression, averages coarse structure; not for very hard steel |
| Rockwell C (HRC) | Diamond cone 120°, 10 kgf minor, 150 kgf major | Depth increase | Fast, direct reading; hardened steel; Rockwell B uses a 1/16 in ball and 100 kgf |
| Vickers HV | Diamond pyramid 136°, loads from grams (micro-hardness) to about 100 kgf | Mean diagonal | Self-similar impressions, so HV is nearly independent of load; one scale for soft to hard |
Electrical conductivity and the four-point probe
Conductivity is σ = 1/ρ, where ρ = RA/L for a uniform bar. In a semiconductor σ = e(nμ_e + pμ_h): carrier densities n and p and mobilities μ = v_d/E, the drift speed per unit field (m²/V s). A two-probe measurement adds the contact and lead resistances to the sample’s, which can dominate for a semiconductor or a low-resistance metal. The four-point probe removes them: the outer two probes pass a known current I, and the inner two, connected to a high-impedance voltmeter that draws almost no current, read the voltage V; no current flows through the voltage contacts, so their contact drops do not enter.
For four collinear probes with equal spacing s: on a sample much larger than s in all directions (semi-infinite), ρ = 2π s V/I. On a thin sheet of thickness t much smaller than s and lateral extent much larger than s, ρ = (π/ln 2) t V/I = 4.532 t V/I, and the sheet resistance is R_s = ρ/t = 4.532 V/I (ohm per square). Finite-size and edge corrections are applied for real samples.
Hall measurement: carrier type, concentration and mobility
Pass a current I along a slab and apply a magnetic field B perpendicular to the current. The Lorentz force pushes carriers sideways until a transverse electric field balances it, producing the Hall voltage across the width. With a single carrier type of density n and charge q, and t the slab thickness measured along B, V_H = I B/(n q t). The Hall coefficient R_H = V_H t/(I B) = 1/(n q): it is negative for electrons and positive for holes, so its sign gives the carrier type and its magnitude gives the density, n = 1/(e|R_H|).
Combine with a resistivity measurement (for example from the four-point probe) to find the Hall mobility μ_H = |R_H| σ = |R_H|/ρ, because σ = n e μ. For mixed conduction R_H = (pμ_h² − nμ_e²)/[e(pμ_h + nμ_e)²]; in an intrinsic semiconductor n = p, so the sign follows whichever mobility is larger (usually electrons).
Thermal analysis: thermogravimetry and calorimetry
Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) records the mass of a sample against temperature (or time) in a controlled atmosphere at a fixed heating rate. A step down is a mass loss (dehydration, decomposition, evaporation); a rise is a mass gain (oxidation in air). The derivative curve (DTG) peaks at the fastest-loss temperature. A transition with no mass change, such as melting of a pure metal in an inert gas, is invisible to TGA. The step height is converted to composition by stoichiometry.
Calorimetry here means differential scanning calorimetry (DSC): the heat flow needed to keep sample and reference on the same temperature programme is recorded against temperature. The peak area is proportional to the enthalpy change ΔH of the transition: endothermic peaks (melting, evaporation, dissociation) and exothermic peaks (crystallisation, curing, oxidation) point in opposite directions, and which way is plotted up depends on the instrument, so the axis label decides. A glass transition shows as a step in the baseline because the heat capacity changes, with no latent heat and no peak. The heat capacity follows from the baseline offset, C_p = (heat flow)/(m × heating rate). Differential thermal analysis (DTA) is the sibling method that records the temperature difference between sample and reference.
Key takeaways
- Engineering σ = F/A₀, e = ΔL/L₀; yield by 0.2 % offset; UTS is F_max/A₀; elongation and reduction in area measure ductility.
- True: σ_t = σ(1+e), ε_t = ln(1+e), valid to the UTS only; necking starts at ε_t = n for σ_t = Kε_t^n; true strains add, engineering strains do not.
- Area under the curve is energy per unit volume: resilience σ_y²/2E up to yield, toughness up to fracture; strong does not mean tough.
- HB = 2P/[πD(D − √(D²−d²))]; Rockwell reads depth (HR = N − h/0.002 mm); HV = 1.854F/d² with F in kgf and d in mm.
- Four-point probe removes contact resistance: ρ = 2πsV/I (bulk) and ρ = 4.532 tV/I (thin sheet).
- Hall: n = IB/(e t V_H), the sign of R_H gives carrier type, μ_H = |R_H|/ρ; TGA tracks mass, DSC tracks heat flow and shows Tg as a baseline step.
Practice questions (17)
Attempt each one before opening the answer. Every explanation names the tempting wrong option as well as the right one, because that is where marks are lost.
In a tensile test of a ductile metal, the ultimate tensile stress (UTS) is
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Answer: B — the maximum load divided by the original cross-section
UTS is F_max/A₀, the highest point of the engineering curve, reached at the onset of necking. Fracture occurs later at a lower engineering stress because the load falls during necking. The first plastic strain marks the elastic or yield limit, and the true stress at fracture is a different, larger quantity.A metal shows no sharp yield point. Its yield stress is then conventionally found by
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Answer: D — drawing a line of the elastic slope from 0.002 strain and reading where it cuts the curve
The 0.2 % offset method draws a line of slope E from e = 0.002; its intersection with the curve is the offset yield stress, which is the stress that leaves 0.2 % permanent strain on unloading. Fracture and UTS are different points, and the 0.2 % applies to strain, not to a fraction of the UTS.Beyond the UTS the engineering stress of a ductile metal falls, yet the true stress keeps rising. The correct explanation is that
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Answer: A — the load falls as the neck shrinks faster than hardening raises stress, and engineering stress uses the original area
In the neck the true stress F/A still rises because strain hardening continues, but the instability criterion dF = 0 has passed, so the load F falls as A shrinks faster. Engineering stress F/A₀ follows the load and therefore falls. Softening is not the cause, the true stress uses the instantaneous (not original) area, and plastic flow conserves volume.A ductile metal obeys σ_t = K ε_t^n in the plastic range with n = 0.25. Using the condition for the onset of necking, the engineering strain at the UTS is closest to
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Answer: C — 0.284
Necking starts at true strain ε_t = n = 0.25. Converting, e = exp(ε_t) − 1 = e^0.25 − 1 = 0.284. The value 0.250 is the true strain mistaken for the engineering strain; because ln(1 + e) < e, the engineering strain is larger than the true strain.Which description of the Rockwell C hardness test is correct?
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Answer: B — A diamond cone under 10 kgf minor and 150 kgf major loads, depth converted to a number
Rockwell C uses a diamond cone of 120° cone angle with a 10 kgf minor load and a 150 kgf major load, and the number comes from the extra depth, HR = 100 − h/0.002 mm. The ball with an impression diameter belongs to Brinell, the pyramid with a diagonal to Vickers, and load over cap area is the Brinell definition.In a Vickers test, HV = 1.854 F/d² with F in kgf and d in mm. A load of 30 kgf leaves an impression of mean diagonal 0.40 mm. The Vickers hardness is closest to
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Answer: C — 348
HV = 1.854 × 30/(0.40)² = 55.62/0.16 = 347.6, about 348. The value 139 comes from dividing by d instead of d²; 87 comes from using d² = 0.64; 696 from doubling the result.A semiconductor bar has contact resistances of several ohms at its ends, much larger than the bar’s own resistance. Why does a four-point probe still give the correct resistivity?
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Answer: D — The voltage is read across two inner contacts by a high-impedance meter, so they carry almost no current
The current enters and leaves through the outer probes, so their contact resistance only affects how much voltage the source must supply, not the measured V. The inner probes feed a voltmeter of very high input impedance, so the current through them, and the drop across their contacts, is negligible. A larger current does not remove contact resistance, and the method does not subtract anything.For an intrinsic semiconductor (n = p) with μ_e = 3μ_h, use R_H = (pμ_h² − nμ_e²)/[e(pμ_h + nμ_e)²]. The Hall coefficient is
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Answer: A — negative, since the more mobile electrons dominate
With n = p the numerator is n(μ_h² − μ_e²) = n μ_h²(1 − 9) < 0, so R_H is negative; the denominator e n²(μ_h + μ_e)² is positive and finite. R_H would vanish only if μ_e = μ_h. Equal densities do not cancel the Hall effect because the weighting is by mobility squared, not by number.A DSC heating scan of an amorphous polymer shows a step-like shift of the baseline, with no peak. This feature is best attributed to
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Answer: B — a glass transition, where heat capacity changes without latent heat
A glass transition is a change in heat capacity with no latent heat, so DSC shows a baseline step rather than a peak. Melting and crystallisation give endothermic and exothermic peaks with areas proportional to ΔH. A mass loss is seen by TGA, not DSC.Consider uniform plastic deformation of a metal rod in tension, before necking. Which statements are correct?
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Answer: A — P: The true strain is ln(1 + e), where e is the engineering strain.; D — S: Two successive true strains of 0.10 each give a total true strain of 0.20.
P holds from dε_t = dL/L. S holds because true strains add (ln is additive). Q fails: the relation uses A = A₀/(1 + e), which requires uniform deformation and breaks once a neck forms. R fails: 1.1 × 1.1 = 1.21, so the total engineering strain is 21 %.Which statements about hardness testing are correct?
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Answer: A — P: Brinell hardness is obtained from the diameter of the impression left by a hard ball.; B — Q: Rockwell hardness is read from the permanent increase in indentation depth produced by the major load (measured under the minor load), without optical measurement.
P and Q describe Brinell and Rockwell correctly. R is reversed: HR = N − h/0.002 mm, so a deeper dent gives a lower number and a higher HRC means a harder material. In S, d is the mean diagonal of the impression, not its depth.Which statements about thermal analysis are correct?
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Answer: A — P: Thermogravimetry records the change of sample mass with temperature or time.; B — Q: The area of a DSC peak is proportional to the enthalpy change of the transition.
P defines TGA and Q states the calorimetric relation. R is false: DSC records heat flow, not mass. S is false: melting in an inert atmosphere changes no mass (and vapour loss is negligible well below the boiling point), so a TGA curve stays flat.In a tensile test the engineering stress is 320 MPa at an engineering strain of 0.25, before necking begins. Assuming uniform deformation and constant volume, find the true stress in MPa. Give the answer as an integer.
Numerical answer — type the value.
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Answer: 400
σ_t = σ(1 + e) = 320 × 1.25 = 400 MPa. Check: A = A₀/1.25, so the same load acts on a smaller area and the true stress is 25 % larger.A steel has yield stress 250 MPa and Young’s modulus 200 GPa. Find its modulus of resilience in kJ/m³, taking the elastic part of the curve as linear. Give the answer to two decimal places.
Numerical answer — type the value.
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Answer: 156.25
U_r = σ_y²/2E = (250e6)²/(2 × 200e9) = 6.25e16/4e11 = 1.5625e5 J/m³ = 156.25 kJ/m³. Cross-check: ½ × 250e6 × (250e6/200e9) = ½ × 250e6 × 1.25e-3 = 1.5625e5 J/m³.A Brinell test uses a 10 mm ball with a load of 3000 kgf and leaves an impression of diameter 4.0 mm. Use HB = 2P/[πD(D − √(D² − d²))] in kgf/mm². Find the Brinell hardness number, as an integer.
Numerical answer — type the value.
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Answer: 229
√(D² − d²) = √(100 − 16) = 9.165 mm; D − 9.165 = 0.835 mm; πD × 0.835 = 26.23 mm²; HB = 6000/26.23 = 228.8, i.e. 229. Python check: 2·3000/(π·10·(10 − √84)) = 228.77.A thin silicon slice of thickness 0.50 mm, very large in lateral extent compared with the probe spacing, is measured with a collinear four-point probe. The current is 4.0 mA and the voltage between the inner probes is 8.0 mV. Use ρ = (π/ln 2) t V/I for a thin sheet. Find the resistivity in Ω cm, to three decimal places.
Numerical answer — type the value.
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Answer: 0.453
V/I = 8.0 mV/4.0 mA = 2.0 Ω. π/ln 2 = 4.532. ρ = 4.532 × 0.50 × 10⁻³ m × 2.0 Ω = 4.532 × 10⁻³ Ω m = 0.4532 Ω cm (1 Ω m = 100 Ω cm). Python check gives 0.45324.An n-type slab of thickness t = 0.10 mm (measured along the field) carries I = 2.0 mA in a magnetic field B = 0.40 T. The Hall voltage is 4.0 mV and the resistivity is 2.0 × 10⁻³ Ω m. Take R_H = V_H t/(IB) and μ_H = |R_H|/ρ for a single carrier type. Find the Hall mobility in m²/(V s), to two decimal places.
Numerical answer — type the value.
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Answer: 0.25
R_H = V_H t/(IB) = (4.0e-3 × 1.0e-4)/(2.0e-3 × 0.40) = 4.0e-7/8.0e-4 = 5.0e-4 m³/C. μ_H = 5.0e-4/2.0e-3 = 0.25 m²/(V s), i.e. 2500 cm²/(V s). Python check: 0.25.