SE110B Assignment 1

Due 04/10/2015

1. A wire is used to hang a lantern over a pool. Neglect the weight of the wire, and
assume that it is taut, but strain free, before the lantern is hung. When the lantern
is hung, it causes a 50-mm sag in the wire. Determine the extensional strain in the
wire with the lantern hanging as shown.

2. Consider the free-hanging rod shown in the following figure. The rod has the
shape of a conical frustum, with radius R0 at its top and radius RL at its bottom,
and it is made of material with mass density . The length of the rod is L.
Determine the expression for the normal stress, (x ) , at an arbitrary cross section
x.

3. A rigid beam AB of total length 3m is supported by vertical rods at its ends, and
its supports a downward load at C of P=60 kN. The diameters of the steel hanger
rods are d1 = 20 mm and d 2 = 10 mm. Neglect the weight of beam AB and the
rods. (a) If the load is located at x=1 m, what are the stresses 1a and 2 a in the
respective hanger rods. (b) At what distance x from A must the loads be placed
such that the stresses within the two hanger rods are equal, and what is the
corresponding axial stress 1b = 2b in the rods.

SE110B Assignment 1

Due 04/10/2015

4. A tensile test is performed on an aluminum specimen that is 13 mm in diameter

using a gage length of 50 mm. (a) When the load is increased by an amount P=8
kN, the distance between gage marks increases by an amount L = 0.043 mm.
Calculate the value of the modulus of elasticity, E. (b) If the proportional limit
stress of this specimen is PL = 280 Mpa, what is the distance between gage
marks at this value of stress.