Tensometer

Have you ever played with a rubber band and noticed how it stretches when you pull it? Well, scientists use something called a tensometer to measure how much a material stretches when it is pulled.

The tensometer has two hooks, kind of like the ones you use to hang your backpack on a coat rack. You attach one end of the material you want to test to one hook and the other end to the other hook. Then, you use a machine to pull the hooks away from each other. This makes the material stretch.

The tensometer has a special device that measures how much the material stretches. It can even measure how much weight is needed to make the material break or tear. Scientists use tensometers to find out how strong different materials are or to make sure that materials will not break when they are used in things like airplanes or bridges.

So, a tensometer is just a fancy machine that helps scientists figure out how much a material can stretch before it breaks, kind of like stretching a rubber band.