Statistical Determination of Surface Flaw Density in Brittle Materials

The density of surface flaws in brittle materials can be determined from the loads in many different kinds of tests. A general method is derived and applied to indentation experiments on crown, plate, window, lead, and commercial heat‐resistant and heat‐absorbing glasses. Knowledge of flaw density is important for estimating size effect, and differences in flaw density indicate the possibility of significant improvements in strength by eliminating a few major sources of flaws.