http://www.teachengineering.org/view_activity.php?url=collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_stop_the_stretching/stop_the_stretching.xmlactivitytext/xmlCenter for Engineering Educational Outreach, composite materialdesignloadstructuretension

Students learn about composite materials, tension as a force and how they act on structural components through the design and testing of strips of plastic chair webbing.

Engineers use their knowledge of material properties, such as the ability to withstand tension and compression, to choose the most suitable materials in their design of structures. Composites are designed to obtain a combination of properties exhibited by two or more components. From foundations for buildings to artifical tissues used to transplant organs, composites are extensively used by engineers to obtain the perfect material properties they need for specific designs. Students learn about tension as a force and how it acts on structural components through a hands-on group design problem. They also learn about composite materials and how they can withstand higher forces.1.5090TeachEngineering.orghttp://www.teachengineering.org/collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_stop_the_stretching/fundamental_facts_about_forces_and_structures.dochttp://www.teachengineering.org/collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_stop_the_stretching/fundamental_facts_about_forces_and_structures.pdfhttp://www.teachengineering.org/collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_stop_the_stretching/constructing_tensile_test_station.dochttp://www.teachengineering.org/collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_stop_the_stretching/constructing_tensile_test_station.pdfhttp://www.teachengineering.org/collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_stop_the_stretching/problem_statement.dochttp://www.teachengineering.org/collection/wpi_/activities/wpi_stop_the_stretching/problem_statement.pdfS103E21AMassachusettsScience2.2 Demonstrate methods of representing solutions to a design problem, e.g., sketches, orthographic projections, multiview drawings.68S103E21BMassachusettsScience2.3 Describe and explain the purpose of a given prototype.68S103E229MassachusettsScience5.3 Explain how the forces of tension, compression, torsion, bending, and shear affect the performance of bridges.68S103E1ADMassachusettsScience4. Explain and give examples of how mass is conserved in a closed system.68United StatesCopyright 2012 - Center for Engineering Educational Outreach, Tufts Universityhttp://www.teachengineering.org/policy_ipp.phphttp://www.teachengineering.org/2011-10-267Teacher