School of Chemical

and Energy
Engineering

LAB REPORT SETP2731

THERMODYNAMICS & MECHANICS

OF MATERIAL LABORATORY

2020/2021 – 02

EXPERIMENT EXPERIMENT 5 – BENDING MOMENT

LECTURER DR. WAN NORHARYATI WAN SALLEH
SECTION 01
GROUP NO 5
GROUP MEMBERS 1. SEOW YUN YI A19ET0223
2. MUHAMMAD RYAAS A19ET0342
3. CARYN EMRISA GONIE A19ET0323
4. HILFY DANISH BIN HAIRULAZIZI
A19ET0070
5. SCOTT RYAN ANAK RONNIE A19ET0222
DATE OF EXPERIMENT
DATE OF REPORT SUBMISSION 25/4/2021

CRITERIA SCORE TOTAL MARKS REMARKS

FORMATTING /10
ABSTRACT /10
INTRODUCTION /10
LITERATURE /10
REVIEW/THEORY
METHODOLOGY /10
RESULTS /10
DISCUSSION /30
CONCLUSION /10
1.0 OBJECTIVE

The objective of this experiment is to measure the bending moment of the material.

2.0 ABSTRACT

This experiment is to measure the bending force on the beam given, also to
determine the moment of resistance in a beam and to measure the bending moment in a
loaded beam's normal section to ensure that it is parallel with theory. To demonstrate the
experiment, we use experimental beam, load, and load hanging. The beam is divided
into two parts and is connected by a joint . An underslung spring balance works at a
lever arm of 150mm to provide a moment of resistance around the hinge. This
experiment was use three load hangers, which are placed on the beam to place a load on
the beam. The experimental beam will bend after the load is put on. Then, when the
load is changed, the spring balancing must be readjusted. Then the reading of the spring
balance is recorded after that.
Using all of the data collected during the experiment, The bending moment will be
calculated for each of loading arrangement at the section. After that the bending moment
diagram is drowned to compare the measured value with it. Then in discussion, the values
obtained from the experimental by using the bending moments will be compared with the
theoretical values.

3.0 INTRODUCTION

A bending moment is a measurement of the bending effect that can occur when a
structural element is subjected to an external force. A moment is a rotational force that exists
when a force is applied perpendicularly to a point at a given distance away from it. It can be
calculated by multiplying the perpendicular force by the distance from the point. A bending
moment is simply the bend that occurs in a beam due to a moment.
4.0 THEORY

When a beam is loaded by forces or couples, internal stresses and strains are created.
To determine these stresses and strains, the internal forces and internal couples that act on
cross sections of the beam should be determined first. Consider a cantilever beam acted upon
by a vertical force, P (Figure 2(a)). Now imagine that the beam is cut through at a cross
section XX (Figure 2(b)). For the left hand part (part A), the shear force, Q x (Figure 2(b):
blue box) and bending moment (Figure 2(c): red box) are assumed to be positive in the
directions as shown in Figure 2 (b) and (c), respectively. The positive direction is vice versa
if the right hand part (part B) of the beam is considered. For vertical equilibrium of part A,
there must be a shear force, Qx acting as shown in Figure 1(b): blue box and equal to -RA.
For vertical equilibrium of part B, the shear force, Q x evidently acts as shown and has the
value of P-RB.

Figure 2: Equilibrium of shear force and moment and sign convention

For equilibrium of moments for part A of the beam, Mx = RA x a

and equilibrium of moments for part B of the beam, Mx = RB x b - P (b-l)
Thus, MX = -b(P-RB) + Pl = -b(RA) + RA(a+b) = RA x a
5.0 APPARATUS

Figure 1: Experimental beam setup

1. Experimental beam
2. Load
3. Load hanger
4. Spring balance
5. Bubble balancer

6.0 PROCEDURE
1. The beam is set up where the load hanger at P1 is 200 mm from P2 and P3 is 300 mm
from P2.
2. Two parts of the beam is aligned using the adjustments on the spring balance by
turning the spring balance until the bubble is balanced at the center.
3. The initial reading from the spring gauge is taken and jotted down in Table 1.
4. 10 N weight is applied at P1 and realign the spring balance. The reading is recorded.
5. Next, the load at P1 is removed and applied at P2. The spring balance is realigned
again to obtain the reading for P2.
6. The load at P2 is then removed and applied at P3. Again, the spring balance is aligned,
and the reading is recorded.
7. Repeat steps 4 to 7 by replacing the weight with 20 N.
8. Similar procedure is also conducted to get data for Table 2 which is for bending
moment at C for the load configuration in Part 2.
9. For data in Table 3, P3 is adjusted to 200 mm from P2.
10. 5 N load and 12 N load is applied at P1 at P3 respectively. The spring balance is
realigned, and the reading obtained is recorded.
11. Repeat the same procedure for the next load in Table 3.
12. The experimental bending moment is calculated by using the data reading obtained
and compared with the theoretical value.
7.0 RESULT
Balance Reading (N) / Net Force (N) for load at
Load (N)
P1 P2 P3
0 18 / 0 18 / 0 18 / 0
10 24 / 6 32 / 14 26 / 8
20 28 / 10 44 / 26 32 / 14
Bending Moment (N.mm) and theoretical value
10 900 / 667 2100 / 2000 1200 / 1000
20 1500 / 1333 3900 / 4000 2100 / 2000
Table 1 : Data for bending moment at C (Mc) for the load configuration in part 1

Calculation :
For 10N load placed at P1 :
𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 − 𝐼𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔
= 24𝑁 − 18𝑁
=6𝑁
𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ∗ 150
= 6 ∗ 150
= 900 𝑁. 𝑚𝑚

For theoretical value of bending moment :

*Assume clockwise direction as positive
𝛴𝑀𝐵 = 0 (𝑅𝐴)
(900) − (𝑃1)(800) = 0
(𝑅𝐴)(900) − (10)(800) = 0
𝑅𝐴 = 8.89 𝑁
𝛴𝑀𝐶 = 𝑅𝐴(300) − (𝑃1)(200)
= (8.89)(300) − (10)(200)
= 667 𝑁. 𝑚𝑚
 Bending moment
Loading Balance Net force Bending moment
(Theoretical value)
(N) reading (N) (N) (N.mm)
(N.mm)
0 18 0 0 0
P2=5 25 7 1050 1000
P1=P3=10, P2=5 36 18 2700 2668
Table 2 : Data for bending moment at C (Mc) for the load configuration in part 2

Calculation :
For 10 N load placed at P1 and P3, 5N at P2 :
𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 − 𝐼𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔
= 36𝑁 − 18𝑁
= 18 𝑁
𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ∗ 150
= 18 ∗ 150
= 2700 𝑁. 𝑚𝑚

For theoretical value of bending moment :

*Assume clockwise direction as positive
𝛴𝑀𝐵 = 0
(𝑅𝐴)(900) − (𝑃1)(800) − (𝑃2)(600) − (𝑃3)(300) =
0
(𝑅𝐴)(900) − (10)(800) − (5)(600) − (10)(300) =
0
𝑅𝐴 = 15.56 𝑁
𝛴𝑀𝐶 = 𝑅𝐴(300) − (𝑃1)(200)
= (15.56)(300) − (10)(200)
= 2668 𝑁. 𝑚𝑚
 Bending moment
Loading Balance Net force Bending moment
(Theoretical value)
(N) reading (N) (N) (N.mm)
(N.mm)
0 18 0 0 0
P1=5, P3=12 32 14 2100 1933
P1=5, P2=10, P3=2 37 19 2850 2600
Table 3 : Data for Bending moment at C (Mc) for the load configuration in part 2
(different positions and loads)
Calculation :
For 5N load placed at P1, 10N load at P2 and 2N load at P3 :
𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝐹𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 = 𝐵𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 − 𝐼𝑛𝑖𝑡𝑖𝑎𝑙 𝑅𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔
= 37 − 18
= 19 𝑁
𝐵𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑀𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 = 𝑁𝑒𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑐𝑒 ∗ 150
= 19 ∗ 150
= 2850 𝑁. 𝑚𝑚

For theoretical value of bending moment :

*Assume clockwise direction as positive
𝛴𝑀𝐵 = 0
(𝑅𝐴)(900) − (𝑃1)(800) − (𝑃2)(600) − (𝑃3)(400) = 0
(𝑅𝐴)(900) − (5)(800) − (10)(600) − (2)(400) = 0
𝑅𝐴 = 12 𝑁
𝛴𝑀𝐶 = 𝑅𝐴(300) − (𝑃1)(200)
= (12)(300) − (5)(200)
= 2600 𝑁. 𝑚𝑚
8.0 DISCUSSION

i. When the load was doubled in Part 1 of experiment, did the bending moment double?
Explain your answer.

In Part 1 when the load was doubled, the bending moment was also doubled (from
667 to 1333) or increase proportionally with the load applied. This situation occurs due
to the external loading that was applied to the beam. Bending moment is one of the forces
that are produced when the external loading is applied to the beam. This force has a high
tendency that causes the rotation of the beam body about a certain axis within the area of
the plane. Therefore, the increasing of load will also increase the bending moment value
proportionally.

ii. Compare the average figure for each of the experiment by using the bending moments
values obtained from the experimental and theoretical (use either a ratio or percentage
error).

Percentage of error:
|Theory−Experimental|
Percentage Error = X 100%
Theory

Part 1 :
∑ percentage error
Overall Percentage Error =
3
34.9+5+20
= 3
= 19.97 %

Part 2(a) :
∑ percentage error
Overall Percentage Error =
2
1.19+5
= 2
= 3.1 %

Part 2(b) :
∑ percentage error
Overall Percentage Error =
2
8.64+9.61
= 2
= 9.1 %
 From the data above we can see that the order of the experiment from the lowest to the
highest average percentage of error is Part 2(a), Part 2(b), and Part 1 configurations. The
theoretical value and the experimental value differ due the errors that are committed by
human or the environmental changes. Moreover, there are some factors that might contribute
to the error occur in this experiment, such as movement around the beam structure,
miscalculation, or misreading the data. Although, these errors can be minimized or higher
accuracy can be obtained by taking several precautions throughout the experiment.

8.0 CONCLUSION
In conclusion, the purpose of this experiment of this experiment is to prove that the values
obtained from experiment and theoretical measurement are the same. As we can see in the
result calculation the experiment data that obtained is almost similar with the theoretical
calculation but not exactly same. Secondly this experiment purpose also to prove that bending
moments are directly proportional to the load given.