physics

Meyer hardness test

Meyer hardness test is a physics topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand Meyer hardness test rather than just read about it. In short: The Meyer hardness test is a hardness test based upon projected area of an impression. The hardness, H {\displaystyle H} , is defined as the maximum load, P max {\displaystyle P_{\text{max}}} divided by the projected area of the indent, A p {\displaystyle A_{\text{p}}} .

Key takeaways

Meyer hardness test belongs to physics; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Meyer hardness test to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Meyer hardness test from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The Meyer hardness test is a hardness test based upon projected area of an impression. The hardness, H {\displaystyle H} , is defined as the maximum load, P max {\displaystyle P_{\text{max}}} divided by the projected area of the indent, A p {\displaystyle A_{\text{p}}} .

H = P max A p . {\displaystyle H={\frac {P_{\text{max}}}{A_{\text{p}}}}.}

This is a more fundamental measurement of hardness than other hardness tests which are based on the surface area of an indentation. The principle behind the test is that the mean pressure required to test the material is the measurement of the hardness of the material. Units of megapascals (MPa) are frequently used for reporting Meyer hardness, but any unit of pressure can be used. The test was originally defined for spherical indenters, but can be applied to any indenter shape. It is often the definition used in nanoindentation testing. An advantage of the Meyer test is that it is less sensitive to the applied load, especially compared to the Brinell hardness test. For cold worked materials the Meyer hardness is relatively constant and independent of load, whereas for the Brinell hardness test it decreases with higher loads. For annealed materials the Meyer hardness increases continuously with load due to strain hardening. Based on Meyer's law, hardness values from this test can be converted into Brinell hardness values, and vice versa. The Meyer hardness test was devised by Eugene Meyer of the Materials Testing Laboratory at the Imperial School of Technology, Charlottenburg, Germany, circa 1908.

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Meyer hardness test

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Meyer hardness test claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In physics, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Meyer hardness test before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Meyer hardness test ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Meyer hardness test

In research: Meyer hardness test appears in physics research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Meyer hardness test in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Meyer hardness test is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Hardness tests, Mechanical engineering stubs, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Meyer hardness test outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

Affiliate

Preply — study more efficiently by working with a personal tutor. 50% off.

How to study Meyer hardness test in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Meyer hardness test means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Meyer hardness test out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Meyer hardness test in simple terms?

Why does Meyer hardness test matter?

Because it connects several physics ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Meyer hardness test?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Meyer hardness test.