Exploring Nitinol: Investigation 1
Safety Note:
Use caution when handling the wire since it may be sharp. Also, be careful in dealing with the hot water.
In your explorations, be careful not to put a kink in the Nitinol wire.
Procedure:
Observations:
1. Observe the piece of wire given to you.
Describe the wire. Especially note the
shape.
2. Coil the wire around a pen (or pencil)
several times. Was it easy to coil?
3. Pull the coiled wire off of the pen. Place
the wire in hot water. Note any changes to
the wire.
4. Why do you think Nitinol is called a “smart material”?
5. Can you think of ways engineers might use Nitinol to solve a design problem?
Copyright © 2012 Board of Trustees, University of Illinois. All rights reserved.