Class: BE210
Group: W3
Members:
Julia Glaser
Trevor Lott
Rob Kreider
Josh Stillman
Debbie Chadi
Date: April 2004
Abstract:
Pendulum impact testing can be used to evaluate fracture energies and fracture forces of different materials. By calibrating a potentiometer attached to the pendulum, swing angles can be measured and used to calculate the energy to fracture. It is important to know the fracture energy and force of materials in order to judge their ability to resist impact. This information can be used to optimize the design of protective equipment, such as helmets and shin-guards, as well as other structures.
The pendulum apparatus can measure the amount of energy needed to fracture a sample. In the experiment, the system will be used to measure fracture energies of wooden sticks subjected to various geometrical and environmental conditions. This will identify important structural properties of wood as well as how it responds to different environmental conditions. This experiment parallels what might be done to evaluate a material in comparison to a biological structure.