MATERIALS TEST Name _______________________

Q1. What is the name given to a material that breaks without deformation when a force is applied to it?
A Plastic
B Brittle
C Stiff
D Elastic
(Total 1 mark)
Q2.
What cannot be used as a unit for the Young modulus?

A N m–2
B Pa
C kg m–2 s–2
D kg m–1 s–2
(Total 1 mark)
Q3.
The four bars A, B, C and D have diameters, lengths and loads as shown. They are all made of the
same material.
Which bar has the greatest extension?

(Total 1 mark)
Q4.
Two separate wires X and Y have the same original length and cross-sectional area.
The graph shows the extension ∆L produced in X and Y when the tensile force F applied to the wires
is increased up to the point where they break.

Which statement is incorrect?

For a given extension more energy is stored in X than

A
in Y.
The Young modulus of the material of wire Y is greater
B
than that of wire X.
C Both wire X and wire Y obey Hooke’s law.
D Wire X has a greater breaking stress than wire Y.
(Total 1 mark)

Page 1 of 10
Q5.
A sample of wire has a Young modulus E. A second sample of wire made from an identical material
has three times the length and half the diameter of the first sample.
What is the Young modulus of the second sample of wire in terms of E?

A 0.25E
B E
C 6E
D 12E
(Total 1 mark)
Q6.
Two vertical copper wires X and Y of equal length are joined as shown. Y has a greater diameter
than X. A weight W is hung from the lower end of Y.

Which of the following is correct?

A The strain in X is the same as that in Y.
B The stress in Y is greater than that in X.
C The tension in Y is the same as that in X.
D The elastic energy stored in X is less than that stored in Y.
(Total 1 mark)
Q7.
A load of 4.0 N is suspended from a parallel two-spring system as shown in the diagram.

The spring constant of each spring is 20 N m–1. The elastic energy, in J, stored in the system is

A 0.1
B 0.2
C 0.4
D 0.8
(Total 1 mark)

Page 2 of 10
Q8. The graph shows the variation of stress with strain for a ductile alloy when a specimen is slowly stretched
to a maximum strain of εm and the stress is then slowly reduced to zero.

The shaded area

A represents the work done per unit volume when stretching the specimen
represents the energy per unit volume recovered when the stress
B
is removed
C represents the energy per unit volume which cannot be recovered
D has units of J m–1
(Total 1 mark)
Q9.
A manufacturer of springs tests the properties of a spring by measuring the load applied each time
the extension is increased. The graph of load against extension is shown below.

(a) State Hooke’s law.

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(2)
(b) Calculate the spring constant, k, for the spring. State an appropriate unit.

spring constant ____________________ unit __________

(3)

Page 3 of 10
 (c) Use the graph to find the work done in extending the spring up to point B.

work done ____________________ J

(3)
(d) Beyond point A the spring undergoes plastic deformation.
Explain the meaning of the term plastic deformation.

___________________________________________________________________
(1)
(e) When the spring reaches an extension of 0.045 m, the load on it is gradually reduced to zero.
On the graph above sketch how the extension of the spring will vary with load as the load is
reduced to zero.
(2)
(f) Without further calculation, compare the total work done by the spring when the load is removed
with the work that was done by the load in producing the extension of 0.045 m.
___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________
(1)
(Total 12 marks)
Q10. As part of a quality check, a manufacturer of fishing line subjects a sample to a tensile test. The sample
of line is 2.0 m long and is of constant circular cross-section of diameter 0.50 mm. Hooke’s law is obeyed up to
the point when the line has been extended by 52mm at a tensile stress of 1.8 × 108 Pa.
The maximum load the line can support before breaking is 45 N at an extension of 88 mm.
(a) Calculate
(i) the value of the Young modulus,

E = _______________
(ii) the breaking stress (assuming the cross-sectional area remains constant),

Stress = __________________
(iii) the breaking strain.

Strain = ___________________
(5)

Page 4 of 10
 (b) Sketch a graph on the axes below to show how you expect the tensile stress to vary with strain.
Mark the value of stress and corresponding strain at
(i) the limit of Hooke’s law,
(ii) the breaking point.

(4)
(Total 9 marks)
Q11. An aerial system consists of a horizontal copper wire of length 38 m supported between two masts, as
shown in the figure below. The wire transmits electromagnetic waves when an alternating potential is applied
to it at one end.

(a) The ends of the copper wire are fixed to masts of height 12.0 m. The masts are held in a
vertical position by cables, labelled P and Q, as shown in the figure above.
(i) P has a length of 14.0 m and the tension in it is 110 N. Calculate the tension in the copper wire.

Tension = _________________

(ii) The copper wire has a diameter of 4.0 mm. Calculate the stress in the copper wire.

Stress = ___________________

(iii) Discuss whether the wire is in danger of breaking if it is stretched further due to movement of the
top of the masts in strong winds.breaking stress of copper = 3.0 × 108 Pa
______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________(7)
(Total 7 marks)

Page 5 of 10
 Q12. (a) State what is meant by the yield stress of a material.
___________________________________________________________________
(3)
(b) A steel piano wire has a diameter of 1.8 × 10−3 m and a length of 1.55 m. When tightened to
emit a note of the required frequency it extends by 1.3 × 10−3 m. The Young modulus of the
steel is 2.1 × 1011 Pa.
(i) Calculate the force exerted on the frame of the piano by this wire.

Force = ______________________________

(3)
(ii) Calculate the strain energy stored in this stretched wire.

Strain = ___________________________(2)
(Total 8 marks)

Q13. Use the graph (curve A) to estimate the work done in producing an extension of 0.30 m.

answer = ______________________ J (3)

Page 6 of 10
Mark schemes

Q1. B
[1]

Q2. C
[1]

Q3. A
[1]

Q4. B
[1]

Q5. B
[1]

Q6. C
[1]

Q7. B
[1]

Q8. C
[1]

Q9.
(a) Force proportional to extension

up to the limit of proportionality (accept elastic limit) dependent upon award of

first mark
Symbols must be defined
Accept word equation
allow ‘F=kΔL (or F ∝ ΔL) up to the limit of proportionality ’ for
the second mark only
allow stress ∝ strain up to the limit of proportionality’ for the
second mark only
2

Page 7 of 10
(b) Gradient clearly attempted / use of k=F / ΔL
k = 30 / 0.026 = 1154
or 31 / 0.027 = 1148

correct values used to calculate gradient with appropriate 2sf answer given (1100 or
1200)
1100 or 1200 with no other working gets 1 out of 2

OR 1154 ± 6 seen
Do not allow 32/0.0280 or 33/0.0290 (point A) for second
mark.

AND load used >= 15 (= 1100 or 1200 (2sf) )

32 / 0.028 is outside tolerance. 32/0.0277 is just inside.

Nm−1 / N / m (newtons per metre) (not n / m, n / M, N / M)

3

(c) any area calculated or link energy with area / use of 1 / 2FΔL
(or 0.001 Nm for little squares)

35 whole squares, 16 part gives 43 ± 1.0

OR equivalent correct method to find whole area

0.025 Nm per (1cm) square × candidates number of squares and correctly

evaluated
OR (= 1.075) = 1.1 (J) (1.05 to 1.10 if not rounded)
3

(d) permanent deformation / permanent extension

Allow: ‘doesn’t return to original length’; correct reference to
‘yield’ e.g. allow ‘extension beyond the yield point’
do not accept: ‘does not obey Hooke’s law’ or ‘ceases to
obey Hooke’s law’,
1

(e) any line from B to a point on the x axis from 0.005 to 0.020

straight line from B to x axis (and no further) that reaches x axis for 0.010<=ΔL<=
0.014
2

(f) work done by spring < work done by the load

Accept ‘less work’ or ‘it is less’ (we assume they are referring
to the work done by spring)
1
[12]

Page 8 of 10
Q10.
(a) (i) strain = 0.026 (1)
E = 6.92 × 109 Pa (1)

(ii) A = 1.96 × 10–7 (m2) (1)

stress = 230 × 108 Pa (1)

(iii) breaking strain = 0.044 (1)

5

(b)

shape overall (1)

(i) straight line (1)

0 to (0.026, 1.8) (1)

(ii) curve (1)

to (0.044, 2.3) (1)
max 4
[9]

Q11. (a) (i) angle between cable and horizontal = (1)

T= 110 cos59° = 57N • (56.7N) (1)

(allow C.E. for value of angle)

(ii) cross-sectional area (= (2.0 × 10–3)2)

=1.3 × 10–5(m2) (1)

(1.26 × 10–5(m2))

stress (1)

= 4.4 × 106Pa (1)

(4.38 × 106Pa)
(use of 56.7 and 1.26 gives 4.5 × 106 Pa)
(allow C.E. for values of T and area)

Page 9 of 10
 (iii) breaking stress is 65 × stress
copper is ductile
copper wire could extend much more before breaking
because of plastic deformation
extension to breaking point unlikely

any three (1)(1)(1)

7
[8]

Q12.
(a) The force per unit area
B1
at which the material extends considerably / a lot / plastically /
or strain increases considerably etc
NOT doesn’t return to its original shape / permanently deformed
B1
for no (or a small) increase in) force / stress
B1
(3)

(b) (i) strain = 8.4 × 10–4 (1.3 × 10–3 / 1.55 seen) (allow if in E = FL / AΔL)
B1
or area of cross section = 2.54 × 10–6
or π (0.9 × 10–3)2
stress = E × strain (explicit or numerically) and
stress = F / A or E = FL / AL
C1
force = 440 – 450 N(cao)
A1
(3)

(ii) Energy = ½ F Δ l or ½ stress × strain × volume

C1
0.29 J ecf for F from (b)(i)
A1
(2)
[8]

Page 10 of 10