Elasticity, plasticity, hysteresis... and waves

We describe an experiment that enables to study mechanical properties of wires. The experiment requires a monostring to stretch the wire, a microcomputer with sound card, and a software to analyze the sound produced by the wire when it is tolled. Experimental data are shown for copper and steel wires that illustrate the determination of Young modulus, the regimes of nonlinear elastic deformation and of plastic deformation, and hysteresis curves. The experiment also enables to detect dispersion effects on transversal waves which propagate on the wires.

elasticity; plasticity; hysteresis; stress diagrams; mechanical wave dispersion