The hardness of a material is important to know when engineers are designing systems and structures; if the material chosen is too hard or too soft, the design may fail. In Materials Science and Engineering, a way to test the hardness of a material is by conducting a Brinell Test. A Brinell Test is when a spherical object is pushed into a material to observe the size of the indentation made in that material. Using the size of this indentation, engineers are able to pick the best material for their designs. Students will design an improvised Brinell test device.
The student handout will be given to all students working on the design challenge. It gives a brief recap of the story, it helps the students identify what they are attempting to achieve, and it recaps the design process.
This Instructor’s Guide provides the instructor additional information on how to run the design challenge with alternatives for materials and test setups as well as information to help make the design challenge a good educational experience.
The Telling the Story Video conveys the societal impact of the student’s research that is the basis for the design challenge and will set the problem-solving context for students.
The Design Challenge Video leads students through the design process. It indicates materials available, states what the criteria are for success and any constraints. It also gives a second ‘level’ of the design challenge that allows ‘early completers’ to move on to a slightly more difficult challenge.