In order to determine the significance of the data found in these trials, statistical analysis tests were performed. A significance value of 0.05 was selected and after running the statistical analysis tests, both the Young’s modulus and elastic toughness had a significant value of less than 0.05. The null hypothesis was then rejected, confirming that our data was acceptable. After comparing the Young’s modulus and elastic toughness of neoprene and silicone to skin, it was determined that silicone would make the best skin substitute. Skin has a Young’s modulus of 0.05 to 3.51 MPa [2]. Based on the data found in the experiment, silicone has a Young’s modulus of 2.183 ± 0.654 MPa while neoprene has a Young’s modulus of 8.903 ± 3.847 MPa. Looking at these two values, the Young’s modulus for silicone is closer to the Young’s modulus of skin. The elastic toughness for skin was found to be 4.9 ± 1.5 MJ/m3 [3]. The values of elastic toughness for neoprene and silicone were 0.0469 ± 0.0252 MJ/m3 and 1.813 ± 0.5428 MJ/m3, respectively. Although these values are not exactly in line with the values found for skin, the values for silicone were closer to the literature values for skin, making silicone the better skin replacement option overall. …show more content…
Another major source of error in this experiment was the fact that we could not calculate the ultimate yield strength due to the silicone dogbones slipping in the Instron 5944 machine, thus preventing us from obtaining a breaking point to have a third value for comparing neoprene and silicone to