Join Dr. Daniel Gianola for a discussion on how engineering materials deform and fail. Engineers constantly think about how structures (such as bridges) and materials (such as steels or plastics) might possibly fracture or fail.  We will interactively investigate the characteristics that make a material stiff, strong, squishy, weak, elastic, or plastic and how the atomic-level structure and processes can govern mechanical behavior.  We will then explore how what we know about the deformation of materials changes when materials have micrometer (one millionth of a meter) or nanometer (one billionth of a meter) sizes.  In particular, Dr. Gianola hopes to prove that size matters, and smaller is stronger. This event will combine a brief power point, demonstrations, videos and discussion.

About Dr. Daniel Gianola

Dr. Gianola is the Skirkanich Assistant Professor in the School of Engineering and Applied Science at the University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Gianola's interests lie in the area of nanomechanics, with a focus on understanding, modeling and predicting the mechanical response of advanced materials at reduced length scales. His experimental studies use methodologies for the quantitative mechanical testing of materials at the nanoscale and state-of-the-art electron microscopy techniques to observe the processes that govern their behavior.

Pre-Videoconference Activities

• Compile a List of Situations: Students should create a list of situations in every day life where materials break or fail. Students should describe (1) the type of materials; (2) the applications; (3) the cause for the failure; and (4) ways that the failure could be avoided. This list will be used during the presentation.
• Compile a list of Objects: Students should create a list of of both natural and man-made objects with sizes (of features or components) in the nanometer range (1-100 nm). This list will be used during the presentation.
• Materials: Prior to the videoconference, LRSM will be sending bars of metals to the participating schools for an interactive demonstration during the program. Dr. Gianrola will be ask for the bars to be handed to two volunteers at each site and, preferably, would like one volunteer to be male and one to be female.