12.2. Hardness Testing

Try these first

1. 1.

   What is hardness?

   Hint

   Think about what happens when you press something into another material.

2. 2.

   Name one hardness testing method.

   Hint

   One uses a ball, the other uses a diamond.

3. 3.

   What does the hardness of a material measure?

   • Resistance to heat
   • Resistance to deformation
   • Resistance to corrosion

   Hint

   Focus on deformation as 'pressing' or 'changing shape.'

4. 4.

   True or False: The Brinell hardness test can measure very hard materials accurately.

   • True
   • False

   Hint

   Think about the material type it targets.

5. 5.

   Given that the Vickers hardness test is more versatile, explain how it can be advantageous when selecting materials for aerospace applications.

   Hint

   Think about strength, weight, and reliability in aviation.

6. 6.

   Design a simple experiment to compare the hardness of two aluminum samples using both Brinell and Vickers tests. What factors would be critical to control?

   Hint

   Consider how variations in testing methods might affect results.