In: Mechanical Engineering
The results of a tensile test can be evaluated as either engineering stress-strain curves or true stress-strain curves. The original cross-sectional area of the tensile test specimen is used to plot the former one, whereas the instantaneous cross-sectional area is used for the latter one. Assume that you are an engineer who needs to design a structural product using a hypothetical metal A, which should not plastically deform in the application area. You need to apply a tensile test to this hypothetical metal A in order to determine the required mechanical properties. From an engineering point of view, which method you should prefer to plot stress-strain curve: engineering stress-strain or true stress-strain? Explain.