Question

The resistance of steel to failure by brittle fracture is commonly assessed by conducting a:

a) Rockwell C hardness test
b) Tensile test
c) Chemical analysis
d) Hydrogen embrittlement test
e) Notched bar impact test

Answer 1

The resistance of steel to failure by brittle fracture is best assessed using a notched bar impact test, which measures the energy absorbed during the fracture and is indicative of real-world impact conditions.

Step-by-step explanation:

The resistance of steel to failure by brittle fracture is commonly assessed by conducting a notched bar impact test. This test is particularly useful because it evaluates the material at high strain rates, which is more indicative of real-world conditions where a sudden impact could cause fracture. The test involves striking a notched specimen of the material with a hammer on a pendulum and measuring the energy absorbed in breaking the specimen. This is fundamentally different from tests like the Rockwell C hardness test, which measures the material's resistance to deformation from a hard indenter, the tensile test that measures the material's response to uniaxial stress, chemical analysis that examines the composition, and the hydrogen embrittlement test that checks for susceptibility to failure due to hydrogen absorption.