Examples for Chapter 10

Fundamentals of College Physics, 3rd.Ed

Dr. Peter J. Nolan

"Fundamentals of College Physics" Third Edition

Dr. Peter J. Nolan, SUNY Farmingdale
Chapter 10 Elasticity
Computer Assisted Instruction
Interactive Examples

Example 10.1
Stretching a wire. A steel wire 1.00 m long with a diameter d = 1.00 mm has a
10.0-kg mass hung from it. (a)How much will the wire stretch? (b) What is the stress
on the wire? (c)What is the strain?
Initial Conditions
L0 =
1m
m=
10 kg
g=
9.8 m/s2
d=
1 mm
Y = 2.10E+11 N/m2
Solution.
a. The cross-sectional area of the wire is given by
A = d2 / 4 = [( 3.14159 )
x (
0.001 m)2] / 4 = 7.85E-007 m2
We assume that the cross-sectional area of the wire does not change during the
stretching process. The force stretching the wire is the weight of the 10.0-kg mass,
that is,
F = mg = (
10 kg) x (
9.8 m/s2) =
98 N
Young's modulus for steel is found in table 10.1 as Y = 21 x 10 10 N/m2. The
elongation of the wire, found from modifying equation 10.6, is
L = F L0 / A Y
L = [(
98 N) x (
1 m)]
/

[(

7.85E-07 m2) x ( 2.10E+11 N/m2)

L = 5.94E-04 m =
0.59418 mm

b. The stress acting on the wire is

F /A= (

98 N)

( 7.85E-07 m2) =

c. The strain of the wire is

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1.25E+08 N/m2

Examples for Chapter 10

Fundamentals of College Physics, 3rd.Ed
Dr. Peter J. Nolan

L / L0 = (

5.94E-04 m)

1 m) =

5.94E-04

Example 10.2
Compressing a steel column. A 445,000-N load is placed on top of a steel column
3.05 m long and 10.2 cm in diameter. By how much is the column compressed?
Initial Conditions
L0 =
3.05 m
F=

d=
Y=

445000 N

Solution.
The cross-sectional area of the column is
A = d2 / 4 = [( 3.14159 )
x
(

0.102 m
2.10E+11 N/m2

0.102 m)2] / 4 =

0.00817 m2

The change in length of the column, found from equation 10.6, is

L = F L0 / A Y
L = [( 445000 N) x (
3.05 m)]
/
L =

[(

8.17E-03 m2) x

7.91E-04 m

( 2.10E+11 N/m2)
0.0791 cm =
0.79095 mm

Note that the compression is quite small

0.790952 mm considering the very
large load
445000 N. This is indicative of the very strong molecular forces
in the lattice structure of the solid.

Example 10.3
Exceeding the ultimate compressive strength. A human bone is subjected to a
compressive force of 5.00 x 105 N/m2. The bone is 25.0 cm long and has an
approximate area of 4.00 cm2. If the ultimate compressive strength for a bone is
1.70 x 108 N/m2, will the bone be compressed or will it break under this force?
Initial Conditions
L0 =
25 cm
F = 5.00E+05 N/m2

A=
(F/A)max =

4 cm2
1.70E+08 N/m2

Solution.
The stress acting on the bone is found from
F /A=
/ ( 4.00E-04 m2) =
5.00E+05 N)

1.25E+09 N/m2

Since this stress exceeds the ultimate compressive stress of a bone, 1.70 x 10 8 N/m2,

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Examples for Chapter 10

Fundamentals of College Physics, 3rd.Ed
Dr. Peter J. Nolan

the bone will break.

Example 10.4
The elongation of a spring. A spring with a force constant of 50.0 N/m is loaded with
a 0.500-kg mass. Find the elongation of the spring.
Initial Conditions
k =
50 N/m
g=
m=

9.8 m/s2
0.5 kg

Solution.
The elongation of the spring, found from Hooke's law, equation 10.9, is
x = F / k = mg / k
x=(
0.5 kg) x (
9.8 m/s2) / (
50 N/m
x=(
0.098 m

Example 10.5
Elasticity of shear. A sheet of copper 0.750 m long, 1.00 m high, and 0.500 cm thick
is acted on by a tangential force of 50,000 N, as shown in figure 10.9. The value of S
for copper is 4.20 x 1010 N/m2. Find (a) the shearing stress, (b) the shearing strain,
and (c)the linear displacement x.

Initial Conditions
base b =
0.75 m
height h =

1m

thickness t =
0.5 cm =
5.00E-03 m
tangential force Ft =
50000 N
Shear Modulus S = 4.20E+10 N/m2

Solution.
a. The area that the tangential force is acting over is
A = bt =
A= (
0.75 m) x ( 5.00E-03 m) =

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3.75E-03 m2

Examples for Chapter 10

Fundamentals of College Physics, 3rd.Ed
Dr. Peter J. Nolan

where b is the length of the base and t is the thickness of the copper sheet shown in
figure 10.9. The shearing stress is
Ft / A =
/ ( 3.75E-03 m2) =
5.00E+04 N)
1.33E+07 N/m2
b. The shearing strain, found from equation 10.15, is
= Ft / A S
= [(

50000 N

[ ( 3.75E-03 m2)
= 3.17E-04 rad

( 4.20E+10 N/m2)]

c. The linear displacement x, found from equation 10.10, is

x = h
x = (
1 m) x
( 3.17E-04 rad)
x = 3.17E-04 m =
0.31746 mm

Example 10.6
Elasticity of volume. A solid copper sphere of 0.500-m 3 volume is placed 30.5 m
below the ocean surface where the pressure is 3.00 x 105 N/m2. What is the change
in volume of the sphere? The bulk modulus for copper is 14 x 1010 N/m2.
Initial Conditions
V0 =
0.5 m3
p = 3.00E+05 N/m2
B = 1.40E+11 N/m2
Solution.
The change in volume, found from equation 10.20, is
V = - V0 p / B
V = -[(

0.5 m3) x ( 3.00E+05 N/m2)]

/
[ ( 1.40E+11 N/m2)
V = -1.07E-06 m3

The minus sign indicates that the volume has decreased.

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Examples for Chapter 10

Fundamentals of College Physics, 3rd.Ed
Dr. Peter J. Nolan

d Edition

What is the stress

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Examples for Chapter 10

Fundamentals of College Physics, 3rd.Ed
Dr. Peter J. Nolan

for a bone is

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Examples for Chapter 10

Fundamentals of College Physics, 3rd.Ed
Dr. Peter J. Nolan

9. The value of S
hearing strain,

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Examples for Chapter 10

Fundamentals of College Physics, 3rd.Ed
Dr. Peter J. Nolan

at is the change

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