MEMS 1030, Practice Assignment 1

The practice assignments will be made up of "Sample Questions" that are similar in nature to exam
questions. The "Other Questions" are more involved quantitative questions that are designed to
give further insight. All homework problems must be attempted for full submission points.
You can (dont have to) work in groups of 2-3 students together. Nevertheless, everybody needs
to submit the solution online, and each group needs to turn in one printed version.
This practice assignment should not take longer than 4 hours.
Include a table like this to each students submitted practice assignment:
You

Team member 2

Team member 3

Name
Contribution to this homework
(5=best, 1=worst)
"Other Questions"
1. Consider a thin semi-infinite plate containing a crack of length 2c. The plate is loaded in uniform
uniaxial tension A perpendicular to the axis of the crack (x-axis). Use the LEFM equations to
plot the variation in stress components y and x with distance from the crack tip along lines at 0,
30, 45, 60 and 90 to the axis of the crack. Make sure that you clearly demonstrate the ability
of the crack to magnify stress and the degree to which the effect is localized at the crack tip.
Hint: Use Excel and choose 5 or 6 dimensionless distances (distance normalized by c) for each
angle. Terminate the calculation when the stress components have decreased to the level of the
applied stress. Do not attempt the calculation when the solution becomes unbounded.
Sample Questions on Mechanical Properties
1. A plate of Ti-6%Al-4V% is loaded in uniform tension. Estimate the minimum internal crack
size that would give brittle failure if the yield strength is 800 MPa and the toughness is 66 MPam1/2.
2. Describe the procedure used to determine the toughness in the compact tension test.
3. A compact tension test was performed for a high strength steel alloy in which the specimen
failed under a load of 28 kN. If the specimen dimensions were W = 50 mm and B = 25 mm and
the crack length a = 25 mm calculate KQ. Is this test a valid KIC test if the steel has a yield strength
of 700 MPa? Assume the dimensionless factor A is 11.4. (The dimensionless factor A is the
expansion with terms in a/W in Dieter. Since this is given to you in the question you do not need
to calculate it).

2016, Markus Chmielus

4. Show why the fracture strength of a brittle material uniaxial tension is commonly lower than
the fracture strength of the same material measured in 4-point bending.
5. 1. Consider the Obriemoff experiment for a perfectly brittle material. The stored elastic energy
UE, for the system is given by:
3 2

UE=Ed h /8c3
Where d is the thickness of the cleaved flake, h is the wedge height, c is the crack size and E is the
elastic modulus. The surface energy produced Us, is given by:
Us=2c
where is surface energy.
(a) Sketch the variation of Um, Us and total energy U with crack size c. Label the point of
equilibrium.
(b) Show that this equilibrium corresponds to stable crack growth.
(c) Why does this not constitute a fracture criterion.

6. Use the following data and a thermal shock parameter to rank the materials in terms of resistance
to thermal shock on rapid quenching.

Material

Fracture Strength

[GPa]

[MPa]

[-]

[ppm/C]

Si3N4

310

850

0.27

3.2

Al2O3

400

500

0.27

4.9

SiO2

70

100

0.25

3.0

2016, Markus Chmielus