LessonGrades 6 - 8
Exploring the Forces of Tension
A game of tug of war requires a lot of tensile strengthCopyright 2010 John Moore, Wikimedia Commons https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tug_Of_War_Tension.png
Students learn about tensile strength. They review their knowledge of tension and focus on tensile loads and failure caused by them. They learn how composite materials are engineered to provide different characteristics, such as stiffness or strength.
Engineers use their knowledge of materials and their properties (such as the ability to withstand tension and compression) to choose suitable materials in the design of safe, reliable and robust products and structures. They also design new materials and composite materials to provide different combinations of material properties.
- Students learn about tension as a force and how it acts on structural components through a hands-on group design problem (via the associated activity).
- Students learn about composite materials and how they can be made for increased strength.