Using the Virtual Lab

At Cornell and at many other schools, torsion testing machines are not available due to space, time and budget constraints. This lab endeavors to provide opportunities to study torsional behavior through the exploration of real test data.

If this has been assigned to you as a lab or HW assignment for your course, we recommend:

  1. Read the Lab Manual to get an idea of what information you will need to extract.
  2. Listen to the Chalk Talks (narrated presentations on theory and procedure).
  3. Do the Online Quiz-Test Your Knowledge so that you are familiar with the material before doing the analysis.
  4. View the Virtual Tests (videos of selected experiments) and images of broken samples.
  5. Work through the analyses and questions in your assignment, downloading and analyzing Test Data as needed.

The site contains more material than you may be assigned. This is to provide flexibility, perhaps your professor will ask you to work on different aspects than another professor.

If you are viewing this site on your own to learn more about torsion, we recommend that you view the Virtual Tests and listen to the Chalk Talks.

Virtual Lab Features

  • Chalk Talks - Narrated presentations on theory, data reduction, sample preparation, test procedure and equipment. Printable (.pdf) version of each talk is available.
  • Virtual Tests - Video records of selected tests, rotatable views of broken samples.
  • Test Data - Torque-twist data in ASCII format. See Hints on Graphing to learn how to load data into Matlab or Excel.
  • Lab Manual - Instructions for Cornell students for performing the lab. Includes data sheets for help in data reduction. Printable (.pdf) manual available.
  • Reference Material - Unit conversions, definitions and hints on graphing.
  • Test Your Knowledge - On line quiz, designed as a self-test - not for your course grade!
  • Discussion Board - (linked from home page) Can use this to ask questions about the lab or to discuss issues with other users.

 

 

 

Introduction

Chalk Talks
Basic theory
Testing

  system

Engineered
  materials
Turkey bone

Virtual Tests
Aluminum
Turkey bone
•PMMA
•Cast iron

Test Data
Aluminum
Turkey bone
PMMA
Cast iron

Lab Manual
•Engineered   materials
-Instructions
-Data sheets
•Turkey bone
-Instructions
-Data sheets
•Entire lab
  manual (.doc) (.pdf)

Test your knowledge

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