Strong as Steel: Testing Toughness
- Teacher Resource
- Posted 01.12.12
- NOVA
In this video excerpt from NOVA's "Making Stuff: Stronger", host and New York Times technology columnist David Pogue participates in a demolition derby to investigate the strength and toughness of steel. David and Mark Eberhart, author of Why Things Break, circle around a dirt track and survey the damage to their steel car frame. In a related activity, students test the toughness of some common materials using a spoon drop strength test and gain a deeper understanding about the physical properties of some everyday materials and how materials scientists determine how safe they are, how best to use them, and how to design better ones.
Permitted use: 
Download
Supplemental Media Available: Making Stuff Stronger Activity (Document); What Is Materials Science? (Document)
- Media Type: Video
- Running Time: 2m 18s
- Size: 8.1 MB
- Level: Grades 6-12
Log in to Teachers' Domain to download, share, rate, save, and match to state standards.
This media asset was adapted from NOVA's "Making Stuff: Stronger" .
Resource Produced by:
Collection Developed by:
Collection Funded by:
Related Resources
-
Making Stuff: Stronger
David Pogue tests his mettle against the world’s strongest stuff, from steel and Kevlar to bioengineered silk.
-
Breaking Point: Testing Tensi...
This video excerpt from NOVA’s "Making Stuff: Stronger" and accompanying demonstration illustrate the toughness and...
-
Metal Fundamentals
Why defects make metal stronger, how hardness differs from toughness, and other marvels of this elemental substance
-
Nature’s Super-Materials
See some of Nature's stickiest, toughest, and cleanest materials, and learn how they are inspiring new products.
