Materials and stuff

Terms for Behaviour of Materials

• StrongA large stress is needed to break it

• StiffNot stretchy or bendy

Terms to describe Mr. Baker

• Tough Materials undergo considerable plastic deformation before they break. They therefore absorb a lot of energy before they break.

• HardResists indentation on impact

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

JELLY HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

BISCUIT HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH OR LOW

JELLY HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

BISCUIT HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

BISCUIT HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW HIGH OR LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

BISCUIT HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

BISCUIT HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH HIGH OR LOW

BISCUIT HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH LOW

BISCUIT HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH LOW

BISCUIT LOW HIGH OR LOW

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH LOW

BISCUIT LOW HIGH

STEEL GIRDER HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH LOW

BISCUIT LOW HIGH

STEEL GIRDER HIGH HIGH OR LOW

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH LOW

BISCUIT LOW HIGH

STEEL GIRDER HIGH HIGH

NYLON ROPE HIGH OR LOW HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH LOW

BISCUIT LOW HIGH

STEEL GIRDER HIGH HIGH

NYLON ROPE HIGH HIGH OR LOW

Stiffness vs. Strength

Material Strength Stiffness

CONCRETE HIGH HIGH

JELLY LOW LOW

GLASS REINFORCED PLASTIC (FIBRE GLASS)

HIGH LOW

BISCUIT LOW HIGH

STEEL GIRDER HIGH HIGH

NYLON ROPE HIGH LOW

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Small Skeletons

Since the earliest days of human spaceflight, NASA has worked to understand how astronauts’ bodies react to microgravity. 

Doctors monitored the condition of the Mercury astronauts during America’s very first flights into space. 

More than 40 years later, astronauts on the International Space Station still participate in biological research in orbit. 

NASA has learned a lot about how the human body reacts to the near-weightlessness of space during that time.  But, there’s still plenty more to learn. 

For instance, biological researchers are interested in learning more about what may be one of the tiniest changes in microgravity. 

Much is now known about how astronauts’ skeletons change during spaceflight, but NASA wants to take that down to a smaller level. 

What happens to the skeletons in astronauts’ cells?

• You may not have known that cells have their own skeletons. 

•This system, called the cytoskeleton, functions in a way similar to both the skeletons and muscles of human bodies. 

•It contributes to maintaining the structure of the cell and to allowing movement of the cell.

So, how is something as small as a cellular skeleton of any use?  The task is made even more challenging by the fact that the cytoskeleton has to be flexible, holding the structure of the cell in place while still allowing it to move.

Different types of protein molecule chains, which can be thin or thick and solid or hollow, serve different purposes in the cytoskeleton.  Some serve to bear compression forces from outside while others carry tension. 

By balancing these two factors, the cytoskeleton is able to yield to outside forces without breaking.

• It is the cytoskeleton’s relationship to the forces of tension and compression that is of interest to NASA.  Researchers are curious what happens to cellular skeletons in the absence of a force that plays such an important role to them.

They learned that certain shapes make cells more likely to reproduce, and some make them more likely to die.

• Researchers have already discovered a potential way to treat cancer involving changes in cell shape.  In addition, some believe the research could also lead to new treatments for such things as osteoporosis, cardiac disease, lung problems, and developmental abnormalities.

So, even though cytoskeleton research involves some pretty small changes, it could still end up making a big difference!

So?

• Now your turn.• NASA scientists are using equations

for stress, strain and Young Modulus to do cutting edge research on cells

• You’ll use data supplied by NASA to find out some quantitative characteristics of the human body for yourself

www.nasaexplores.com