AM2540 APPLIED MECHANICS LAB

Solid Mechanics
Lab Report

EXPERIMENT (CODE G) :
Spring Test & Measurement of Bending Stress using Strain
Gauge.

Group 48 -
ME16b178
ME16b179
ME16B180
ME11B034
 EXPERIMENT 1

Spring Stiffness Test

Aim To calculate the stiffness constants of different springs and comparing the experimental values
with the theoretical values.

Theory
If the force applied on the spring is such that there occurs no permanent deformation in the spring, the
system actually regains its original shape. There exists a linear relationship between the force applied
and the deformation produced in the spring i.e.

=
Where

F = Force applied,

x = deformation,

K = linear stiffness constant.

In order to estimate the linear stiffness constant theoretically, we have the following

Where

G = shear modulus of the spring material,

r = radius of the spring wire,

n = number of active coils in the helical spring,

R = mean radius of the helical spring.

Observation
Values -
g = 9.8 m/s2

Shear modulus of Mild steel (G) = 80Gpa

Spring Sample -1 (Non linear spring under tension) :

Table -1

S.no Load Load Loading Loading Unloading Unloading Mean

(kg) (N) (Vernier) (Deflection) (Vernier) (Deflection) Deflection
(cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm)
1. 0.0 0.0 12.2 0.0 12.2 0.0 0.0
2. 0.5 4.9 12.1 0.1 12.1 0.1 0.1
3. 1.0 9.8 12.1 0.1 11.9 0.3 0.2
4. 1.5 14.7 11.9 0.3 11.7 0.5 0.4
5. 2.0 19.6 11.7 0.5 11.5 0.7 0.6
6. 2.5 24.5 11.5 0.7 11.5 0.7 0.7

Spring Sample - 1
30

25

20
Load(N)

15

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8
Deflection(cm)

Slope (K) = 32.38983 N/cm.

We observe that as load is increased, the deflection also increases and the deflection is non linear.
Spring Sample -2 (Linear helical spring under compression) :

Table -2

S.no Load Loading Loading Unloading Unloading Mean

Load (N) (Vernier) (Deflection) (Vernier) (Deflection) Deflection
(kg) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm)
1. 0.0 0.0 12.2 0.0 12.2 0.0 0.00
2. 0.5 4.9 12.0 0.2 11.8 0.4 0.30
3. 1.0 9.8 11.6 0.6 11.5 0.7 0.65
4. 1.5 14.7 11.3 0.9 11.2 1.0 0.95
5. 2.0 19.6 10.9 1.3 10.9 1.4 1.35
6. 2.5 24.5 10.6 1.6 10.6 1.6 1.60

SPRING SAMPLE - 2
25

20

15
LOAD (N)

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
DEFLECTION (CM)

Slope (K) = 14.94473 N/cm.

We observe that the extension is linear when the load is gradually increased. There is wide spacing
between the active coils of the spring.
Spring Sample 3 (linear helical spring under tension) :

Table - 3

S.no Load Load Loading Loading Unloading Unloading Mean

(kg) (N) (Vernier) (Deflection) (Vernier) (Deflection) Deflection
(cm) (cm) (cm) (cm) (cm)
1. 0.0 0.0 41.0 0.0 41.0 0.0 0.0
2. 0.5 4.9 41.7 0.7 41.7 0.7 0.7
3. 1.0 9.8 42.5 1.5 42.5 1.5 1.5
4. 1.5 14.7 43.5 2.5 43.5 2.5 2.5
5. 2.0 19.6 44.5 3.5 44.4 3.5 3.5
6. 2.5 24.5 45.3 4.3 45.3 4.3 4.3

SAMPLE SPRING - 3
25

20

15
LOAD (N)

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
DEFLECTION (CM)

Slope (K) = 5.316038 N/cm .

We observe that the extension in the spring varies linearly with the load applied. We also see that the
active coils are closely spaced.
Theoretical estimate
Table - 4

Spring Mean reading

R 1.36cm

Sample 1 r 0.153cm
n = 32
KL 13.61N/cm

R 1.932cm
r 0.14cm
Sample 2
n = 11
KL 6.9183N/cm

R 1.746cm

Sample 3 r 0.198cm
n = 27
KL 21.389N/cm

Calculations :
Inference :
The spring constant depends on the material, radius of the spring wire, mean helical radius of
the spring and the number of turns.
Experimentally, spring constant can be calculated from the slope of the load vs deflection curve.
 On comparing the experimental and theoretical values, the difference arises due to the friction
between the spring and the points where it is in contact with the stationary part of the
apparatus.

Aim To measure the tensile bending stress at the root of the cantilever beam subjected to tip
transverse loading using a Strain Gauge.

Apparatus :
Strain Gauge , A Strain Gauge Indicator , Aluminium bar , a micrometer screw for loading , a bar holder.

Fig : Experimental setup

Theory
A Strain Gauge is a device (typically foil) used to measure strain and when the object is deformed there
is a change in its electrical resistance. This change in resistance is related to strain produced in the
object.

Experimentally, the tensile bending stress can be calculated from the Hookes Law , which states stress
is proportional to strain and the proportionality constant is the youngs modulus of the material.

=
 Analytically , tensile bending stress is calculated from Flexure Formula which is

Where,

Mb = Bending moment developed at the location of the strain gauge.

Izz = Moment of inertia of the beam cross section.

xx = Normal bending stress.

y = Distance of Fibre from centroidal axis.

E = Youngs modulus of material of the bar.

= Radius of Curvature of the beam.

Observations :
E (aluminium) = 69 GPa

S.no Deflection Display Strain Strain Stress Stress %

(mm) (Experimental) (Theoretical) (Experimental) (Theoretical) difference
(Pa) (Pa)

1. 0.5 55 55 10 -6 53.8 3.795 10 6 3.712 10 6 -2.23599

2. 1.0 114 114 10 -6 107.65 7.866 10 6 7.428 10 6 -5.89660
3. 1.5 169 169 10 -6 161.45 11.661 10 6 11.140 106 -4.67684
4. 2.0 228 228 10 -6 215.26 15.732 10 6 14.853 106 -5.91799
5. 2.5 287 287 10 -6 269.11 19.803 10 6 18.569 106 -6.64548
6. 3.0 348 348 10 -6 322.91 24.012 10 6 22.281 106 -7.76895
7. 3.5 412 412 10 -6 376.76 28.428 10 6 25.997 106 -9.35107
8. 4.0 475 475 10 -6 430.57 32.775 10 6 29.710 106 -10.3163
9. 4.5 531 531 10 -6 484.52 36.639 10 6 33.425 106 -9.61555
10. 5.0 601 601 10 -6 538.23 41.469 10 6 37.138 106 -11.6619

Table -5
Calculations

Flexure Formula - = =

Deflection and applied transverse load are related as - = PLo3 / 3EIzz

Bending Moment - Mb = - PL1
Moment of inertia - Izz = bh3/12
From experiment, we have

Lo = 25.5 cm y = 0.25 cm
L1 = 23.8 cm
b = 2.5 cm
h = 0.5 cm
Izz = bh3/12 = 260.41 (mm) 4 = 2.6041 10 -10m4.

S.no Deflection P (transverse Mb

(mm) Load) (N) (Nm)

1. 0.5 1.625 -0.386750

2. 1.0 3.251 -0.773738
3. 1.5 4.876 -1.160488
4. 2.0 6.501 -1.547238
5. 2.5 8.127 -1.934226
6. 3.0 9.752 -2.320976
7. 3.5 11.378 -2.707964
8. 4.0 13.003 -3.094714
9. 4.5 14.629 -3.481702
10. 5.0 16.254 -3.868452

Table - 6 Values of P and Mb for different deflections.

Manual Calculations -
Inference
On application of the transverse load on the cantilever beam there exists bending moment
throughout the surface and this gives rise to bending stress in the beam.
The bending stress can be calculated from the stress strain relation by measuring the strain at
the clamped point using a strain gauge.
Theoretically, stress can be calculated from the flexure relation and we observe that the
experimental and theoretical stresses are nearly in close agreement.