Experiment No: - 01

Name of Experiment: - Deflection of a Simply Supported Beam.

Objectives: -
1. Toverify the simple beam bending equation for a beam on two supports and show the background for
the Euler formula.

Apparatus:
1. Weight Hanger and Weights.
2. Standard set of struts (supplied).
3. Deflection indicator
4. Load Meter
5. Cord and Knife Edge Weight Hanger
6. Weights

Fig 1: Loading and Buckling of Struts Experiment.

Theory:

A simply supported beam is a type of beam that has pinned support at one end and roller support at
the other end. Depending on the load applied, it undergoes shearing and bending. It is the one of the
simplest structural elements in existence. The following image illustrates a simply supported beam.
Force (F), Prop Force (P) and Load:

You use a set of weights to apply a load for beam tests, but in your calculations, you must use the force
caused by the weights that make the load.

From Newton’s Law of F = ma:

Force (N) = Load (kg) x g (9.81 m.s-2)
Many standard equations use the letter F for force. This works for the beam experiments, but for strut
experiments, the force is a prop force, applied to the end of the strut. So, this theory uses the letter (P)
for this force.

Young’s Modulus ():

This is a ratio of the stress divided by the strain on a material. An English physicist - Thomas Young
discovered it. It is a measure of the stiffness of a material (a stiffer material has a higher value of
Young’s Modulus). It is found by the equation:

Second Moment of Area:

The second moment of area for a rectangular cross-section beam is:

Figure: Cross-section of a Beam

Flexural Rigidity (EI):

The second moment of area (I) of a beam or strut links to its dimensional strength.

The Young’s Modulus (E) of a beam or strut links to the strength of its material (while being used in
its elastic region).
The product of these two values (E x I) gives a measure of the beam’s flexural rigidity. A higher flexural
rigidity means that you need more force to bend or flex a beam of a known length than an identical
beam, that has a lower flexural rigidity. The length of the beam and other factors decide the actual
force need to bend the beam.

Beam Bending Theory

Deflection of a Beam on Simple Supports

Figure shows a simply supported beam on two supports, loaded at exactly the mid-point. For this
arrangement, the theoretical deflection at the mid-point (yc) is:

……………………………….. (1)

Stiffness of a beam and Young’s Modulus

Struts are not usually perfect. They may not be perfectly straight. They may not have a constant cross-
sectional area along their length, or may not have a textbook value Young’s Modulus. This can give
errors in your results. To reduce these errors, you can do accurate stiffness tests on each strut to find
its true Young’s Modulus. To make things simple, you can use the simply supported beam test and its
theory.

To do this, you can rearrange Equation 1 to give:

The right-hand side of this equation relates to the beam’s stiffness. You need more force to bend a stiffer
beam. This equation is also in the form y = mx. From this, a chart of F against 48ycI/L3 will give a straight
line, with the gradient E. This will be a good average measurement of the Young’s Modulus along the beam’s
test length.
 Figure: How to Use Your Results to Find Young’s Modulus

Beam Bending Moment

Figure: Beam Bending Theory - Bending Moment and Deflection

Figure shows a cantilever beam. This is similar to a strut with one fixed end and one free end.

Procedure: -
1. Create a blank results table, similar to Table 1.

2. Loosen the fixings of the measuring end if necessary and move it to the end of the base

3. Fit the two-knife edge supports to the front side of the main base, above the measurement
scale, so they are exactly 600 mm apart (for example - set them to 200 mm and 800 mm). Make
sure the sharp Loosen the fixings of the measuring end if necessary and move it to the end of
 the base. edge is upwards. If necessary, use a screwdriver or the thumbscrews to slide the
fixings along in the slots so you can fit the thumbscrews

4. Fit the flat plate digital deflection indicator holder to the front of the base, so that it is exactly
mid- way between the two-knife edge supports (for example - at 500 mm).

5. Find the 750-mm long steel specimen strut (number 1). Use an accurate Vernier or
micrometer and carefully measure the dimensions of the strut. Use these to calculate the
second moment of area for the strut.

6. Put the beam onto the knife edge supports.

7. Fit the digital indicator into its holder, so its display faces forward. The beam will bend
downwards less than 10 mm in this experiment, so move the beam backwards temporarily.
Adjust the deflection indicator in its holder to allow it to measure approximately 10 mm of
downward beam deflection.

8. Adjust the beam to be central across the Knife Edge Supports (so that an equal amount of beam
‘sticks out’ over the Knife Edge Supports) (see Figure). Or, use a pencil to mark the beam at its
Centre (375 mm) and adjust it so that the pencil mark is just under the tip of the Deflection
Indicator.
9. Hook the Knife Edge Weight Hanger onto the beam at the mid position, just under the tip of
the Deflection Indicator.
10. Zero the deflection indicator. The deflection reading from this point onwards ignores any
initial bend in the beam and any bend caused by the small weight of the Knife Edge Weight
Hanger.

11. Fit the Hooked Weight Hanger to the bottom of the Knife Edge Weight Hanger. Add 9 x 10 g
weights to give a total of 100 g load*. Gently tap the frame to reduce the effect of friction.
Record the reading of the deflection indicator.

12. Increase the load to 200 g, 300 g, 400 g and 500 g. At each increase, record the deflection.

Beam Material: Second Moment of Area ( I):

Distance between supports ( L): Young’s Modulus (E):

Measured Measured Theoretical

Load (g) Force (N) Deflection (mm) Deflection (m) FL3 Deflection (y)

0 0

100

200

300

400

500

Table 1: Blank Results Table

Results Analysis

Convert your load into force and if necessary, convert your deflection into meters (you can use mm or
meters, but the correct SI unit is meters). Plot a curve of force (vertical axis) against deflection
(horizontal axis) for the beam. What does your curve suggest about the behavior of the beam?

Use your measurements of the beam dimensions to calculate the second moment of area for the beam.
Find the Young’s Modulus for the material that makes your beam. Use the simple beam bending
equation in the theory section of this guide to find the theoretical deflection of the beam for each load.
Add your theoretical curve to the same chart as the actual curve and compare the two curves.

Does the theory accurately predict the deflection of the beam? What are the possible sources of error-
if any?

Typical Result:

Figure: Typical Results for Experiment 1

Your results should show that the theory predicts the deflection accurately, while you deflect the beam
within the elastic limits of its material. As shown in the theory, errors can be due to manufacturing
tolerances in the material - its Young’s Modulus may not be accurate. Also, the second moment of area
may only be accurate for part of the beam, as its cross-sectional dimensions may change slightly along
its length.