Certified Reliability Engineer Practice Test 2025 – All-in-One Guide to Master Your Certification!

Thermal cycling refers to the repeated heating and cooling of materials, which can significantly impact their reliability over time. The correct answer highlights that thermal cycling can lead to material fatigue. This phenomenon occurs because the expansion and contraction of materials under varying temperatures can introduce stresses within the material. Over time, these repeated stress cycles can result in micro-cracks and eventually cause failure of the material.

Factors such as the material's properties and the severity of temperature changes contribute to the extent of fatigue. As materials experience thermal cycling, their microstructural integrity may degrade, leading to reductions in strength and durability, which are key components of reliability. Therefore, understanding and evaluating the effects of thermal cycling is crucial in applications where materials are subjected to fluctuating temperatures, ensuring that potential failure modes are identified and mitigated.