1.1 The resistance of plastics to breakage by flexural shock may be determined by test methods such as those contained in Test Method D 256. Specimens used in those test methods feature a milled notch to promote brittle fracture. The test specimens are struck by a pendulum with the depth dimension parallel to the direction of pendulum swing. This test method is differentiated from the others by its application to the assessment of the affect on impact resistance of changes in the surface of s