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Incorporating Materials Science into an Undergraduate Applied Physics Curriculum

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  11 February 2011

Claudio Guerra-Vela  and
Fredy R. Zypman
Claudio Guerra-Vela
Affiliation:
Department of Physics and Electronics, University of Puerto Rico at Humacao, 100 Tejas Avenue, Humacao, PR 00791–4300, U.S.A.
Fredy R. Zypman
Affiliation:
Department of Physics, Yeshiva University, 500 185th Street, New York, NY 10033–3201, U.S.A.
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Abstract

The Intermediate Physics laboratory is a pivotal course of the undergraduate physics curriculum. Besides its intrinsic importance for introducing modern physics experiments, this laboratory also plays an important role in addressing the needs of the future applied scientist and engineer using contemporary equipment for data acquisition and control. This laboratory course has a mix of standard (usually not directly addressing materials science questions) and newer experiments. Among the newer experiments, we have developed a kit for measuring the transverse and longitudinal Young and Shear modulus of a homemade concrete block by analyzing their standing modes of vibrations. The technique is similar to that of the C-215 American Society for Testing Materials (ASTM) Standard, but more appropriate for university educational setting, using ordinary student laboratory equipment and piezoelectric transducers. From these measurements, we also deduce Poisson's ratio. Students start measuring during the curing process of the concrete sample, something that it is not possible with the standard technique. However, our results have a precision comparable to that of the standard. Through the experiment, students learn about the properties of concrete. They make the samples following the C-192 ASTM standardized process, and review several concepts about waves such as wave equations, resonant modes of vibrations, dispersion relations, and standing modes.

Type
Research Article
Information
MRS Online Proceedings Library (OPL) , Volume 760: Symposium JJ – The Undergraduate Curriculum in Materials Science and Engineering (MSE) , 2002 , JJ4.2
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2003

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References

REFERENCES

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