Materials Engineering Midterm Exam -
Solved Paper
Total Marks: 40
Part A: Short Questions (10 Marks)
Q1. Define Materials Engineering and explain its interdisciplinary nature. (2.5 Marks)
Solution: Materials Engineering is the study of how the internal structure of materials
relates to their properties, how they are processed, and how they perform in real-
world applications. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws knowledge from physics
(understanding atomic and molecular behavior), chemistry (explaining reactions,
compounds, corrosion), and engineering (applying knowledge to design, build, and
test products). Its interdisciplinary nature allows for the design of new materials and
the improvement of existing ones.
Q2. Briefly classify engineering materials into their major categories and provide one
example for each. (2.5 Marks)
Solution: Engineering materials are broadly classified into: * Metals: Excellent
conductors of heat and electricity, ductile, malleable, strong, and tough. Example:
Steel. * Ceramics: Hard, brittle, excellent thermal resistance, good electrical
insulators. Example: Glass. * Polymers: Lightweight, inexpensive, flexible, non-
conductive, corrosion-resistant. Example: PVC. * Composites: Made by combining two
or more materials to achieve enhanced properties. Example: Fiberglass. * Advanced
Materials: Designed for high-performance, sensitive, or smart applications, often
engineered at the nano or molecular level. Example: Biomaterials (e.g., titanium
implants).
Q3. Explain the four components of the PSPP cycle in materials engineering. (2.5
Marks)
Solution: The PSPP (Processing → Structure → Properties → Performance) cycle is the
core concept of materials engineering: * Processing: How the material is
manufactured or shaped (e.g., casting, rolling, heat treatment). It directly affects the
material's structure. * Structure: The internal arrangement of a material at atomic,
micro, and macro levels (e.g., atomic bonding, grain size, layering). Structure
influences all key material properties. * Properties: The measurable characteristics of
a material (e.g., mechanical strength, thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity,
chemical corrosion resistance). These properties determine how a material can be
used. * Performance: The real-world behavior of a material in an application (e.g.,
ability to withstand stress, high temperatures, or resist wear). Performance depends
on the combination of structure, properties, and processing.
Q4. Differentiate between elastic and plastic deformation. (2.5 Marks)
Solution: * Elastic Deformation: This is a temporary, non-permanent deformation.
When the applied stress is removed, the material returns to its original shape and
dimensions. This occurs within the elastic limit of the material and is typically
governed by Hooke's Law. * Plastic Deformation: This is a permanent deformation.
When the applied stress is removed, the material does not return to its original shape
and retains some degree of permanent change. This occurs when the stress exceeds
the material's yield strength.
Part B: Theory Questions (5 Marks)
Q5. Explain the Structure-Property Relationship in materials, detailing how atomic
structure, microstructure, and macrostructure influence material properties. (3 Marks)
Solution: The performance of a material is heavily dependent on its internal structure,
which exists on three main levels: * Atomic Structure: Refers to the arrangement of
atoms and the type of atomic bonds (ionic, covalent, metallic). This level controls
basic properties like electrical conductivity (e.g., free electrons in metals lead to good
conductivity), thermal behavior, and chemical reactivity (e.g., strong ionic bonds in
ceramics make them hard but brittle). * Microstructure: Includes features visible
under a microscope, such as grain size, phases, and defects (dislocations, voids). For
example, smaller grain sizes generally lead to stronger materials due to grain
boundary strengthening. Heat treatments can alter microstructure, thereby modifying
strength and hardness. * Macrostructure: This is the visible structure seen with the
naked eye, often influenced by processing methods like forging, rolling, or casting. For
instance, a forged part might have aligned grains, resulting in higher strength in a
particular direction, while a cast part might have pores, leading to weaker
performance.
Q6. Discuss the concept of viscoelasticity in materials. Explain creep and stress
relaxation as major characteristics of viscous behavior. (2 Marks)
Solution: Viscoelasticity describes materials that exhibit both elastic (solid-like) and
viscous (fluid-like) properties when subjected to deformation. Unlike purely elastic
materials that deform instantaneously and recover fully, or purely viscous materials
that deform continuously under stress, viscoelastic materials show time-dependent
strain.
Creep: This is the time-dependent deformation of a material under a constant
applied stress. Over time, even if the load remains constant, the material
continues to deform or elongate. This is particularly noticeable at elevated
temperatures and is a characteristic of the viscous component of viscoelastic
behavior.
Stress Relaxation: This is the time-dependent decrease in stress in a material
when it is held at a constant strain. If a material is stretched to a certain length
and held there, the internal stress required to maintain that strain will gradually
decrease over time. This also reflects the viscous nature of the material, as the
material
relaxes internally to relieve the applied strain.
Part C: Numerical Problems (25 Marks)
Q7. A cylindrical aluminum rod has a diameter of 0.505 inches and an initial length of
2.0 inches. It is subjected to a tensile force of 1000 lbf, which causes it to elongate by
0.02 inches. (a) Calculate the engineering stress in psi. (3 Marks) (b) Calculate the
engineering strain. (2 Marks) (c) If the deformation is within the elastic range,
determine the Young's modulus of the material in psi. (3 Marks)
Solution: Given: Diameter (d) = 0.505 inches Initial Length (L₀) = 2.0 inches Tensile
Force (F) = 1000 lbf Elongation (ΔL) = 0.02 inches
(a) Engineering Stress (σ): Area (A) = π * (d/2)² = π * (0.505/2)² = π * (0.2525)² ≈ 0.2003
in² σ = F / A = 1000 lbf / 0.2003 in² ≈ 4992.51 psi
(b) Engineering Strain (ε): ε = ΔL / L₀ = 0.02 inches / 2.0 inches = 0.01
(c) Young's Modulus (E): E = σ / ε = 4992.51 psi / 0.01 = 499251 psi
Q8. A brass rod with a diameter of 10 mm and a length of 1 meter is subjected to a
tensile load of 2000 N. The elongation observed under this load is 1.2 mm. (a)
Calculate the engineering stress in MPa and strain. (4 Marks) (b) Determine the Young's
modulus of brass using the data in GPa. (3 Marks)
Solution: Given: Diameter (d) = 10 mm = 0.010 m Length (L₀) = 1 meter = 1000 mm
Tensile Load (F) = 2000 N Elongation (ΔL) = 1.2 mm = 0.0012 m
(a) Engineering Stress (σ) and Strain (ε): Area (A) = π * (d/2)² = π * (10 mm / 2)² = π * (5
mm)² = 25π mm² ≈ 78.54 mm² σ = F / A = 2000 N / 78.54 mm² ≈ 25.46 MPa ε = ΔL / L₀ =
1.2 mm / 1000 mm = 0.0012
(b) Young's Modulus (E): E = σ / ε = 25.46 MPa / 0.0012 ≈ 21216.67 MPa To convert to
GPa: 21216.67 MPa / 1000 = 21.22 GPa
Q9. A metal rivet has a square cross-section of 5 mm × 5 mm and a height of 10 mm. A
shear force of 1000 N causes it to deform angularly by 0.02 radians. (a) Calculate the
shear stress applied on the rivet in MPa. (3 Marks) (b) Calculate the resulting shear
strain. (2 Marks) (c) Determine the shear modulus of the material in GPa. (2 Marks)
Solution: Given: Side of square cross-section = 5 mm Area (A) = 5 mm * 5 mm = 25 mm²
Shear Force (F) = 1000 N Angular deformation (γ) = 0.02 radians
(a) Shear Stress (τ): τ = F / A = 1000 N / 25 mm² = 40 MPa
(b) Shear Strain (γ): The angular deformation is directly the shear strain. γ = 0.02
radians
(c) Shear Modulus (G): G = τ / γ = 40 MPa / 0.02 = 2000 MPa To convert to GPa: 2000
MPa / 1000 = 2 GPa
Q10. A polymer rod is subjected to a constant tensile stress of 5 MPa. Initially, the
strain is measured at 0.005. After one hour under the same load, the strain increases to
0.012. (a) Calculate the total increase in strain over time. (1 Mark) (b) Identify the type
of time-dependent deformation exhibited by the material. (1 Mark) (c) Explain whether
the material behaves like a purely elastic material, purely viscous, or viscoelastic. (1
Mark)
Solution: Given: Initial strain (ε_initial) = 0.005 Strain after one hour (ε_final) = 0.012
(a) Total increase in strain: Increase in strain = ε_final - ε_initial = 0.012 - 0.005 = 0.007
(b) Type of time-dependent deformation: This is Creep.
(c) Material behavior: The material behaves as a viscoelastic material. It exhibits
both elastic characteristics (initial instantaneous strain) and viscous characteristics
(time-dependent increase in strain under constant stress, which is creep). If it were
purely elastic, the strain would not change over time under constant stress. If it were
purely viscous, it would continuously deform without any initial elastic response.
