Metallic components and samples are mainly tested in the materials testing laboratory at ifw Jena. One method of materials testing is the tensile and compression test, in which a material is pulled or compressed until it is destroyed. These tests are important in order to obtain information about the load-bearing capacity of a material or a weld seam. For example, the effects of defects can be investigated or it can be determined whether a material is suitable for certain requirements.
For the Long Night of Science, we place basketballs sponsored by Science City Jena e. V. in our tensile machines to test together with you how much pressure a ball can withstand until it bursts. Every full hour we test a new ball - you and your children can join in and guess how strong a basketball really is in a practical pressure test.
