Labs · illustrative models · not evidence

Play with the ideas, not the results.

Two interactive explainers for concepts used across the programme. They are textbook models, kept apart from the evidence pages, and are not calibrated to INFORM materials.

Lab 01 · Percolation

When does a conductive network appear?

Each square is filled with conductive material at the chosen probability. When a connected cluster links the left and right edges, current has a continuous path. On this square-lattice model that happens near 59% of sites; real composites differ with particle shape, dispersion and matrix.

[ Fig L1 · site percolation · 48 × 28 ]Illustrative model

Fill probability 55%

Spanning path: noLargest cluster: 11% of filled sites

Programme context: dosage must balance connectivity against agglomeration, workability, mechanical integrity and cost. See L10 and the technology page.

Lab 02 · Gauge factor

How much does resistance change under strain?

Gauge factor (GF) links fractional resistance change to strain: ΔR/R₀ = GF × ε. Choose a gauge factor and a strain to see the change a measurement system would need to resolve.

Gauge factor 35 Strain 200 µε

GF 35 was reported for 0.05% GO at w/c 0.35 under the cited study conditions (Guo et al., 2021). It is literature-supported, not an INFORM result.

Fractional resistance change 0.70%

For a specimen reading 1,000 Ω at rest, that is a change of about 7.0 Ω — which the DAQ must resolve above noise, drift and contact effects. [ Fig L2 · worked example · not an INFORM measurement ]