1.5 LAW OF RECIPROCAL DEFLECTIONS OR MAXWELL'S RECIPROCAL DEFLECTION THEOREM Imany beam or truss the deflection at any point D due toa load W at any other poi C ts the same as the deflectiom at due tr the same load W applied at D. ‘James Clerk Maxwell, Cavendish professor at Cambridge University offered this law in 1864, ” Mig. 1.12 “ Fig. 1.12 (0 shows a structure AB carrying a load W applied al any paint C, Let the deflection at C be A,, Let the deflection at any ‘other point Dbe A, Fig. 1.12 (ii) shows the same structure AB carrying the same load Wat D. Let the deflections at C and D be 8, and 8, respectively. ‘ Let the structure be loaded as shown in Fig. (i). Work done on the structure: 'W A,. As the structure is loaded with the load Wat , let another equal load W’be applied at D. There willbe further deflections of 8, and 8at Cand D as shown in Fig. 1.13. Total work done at this stage = 21/8, + 148, +178, Let now the order of loading be changed. Fig. 1.43 4 Let the structure be firs loaded as shown in Fig. 1.12 (i). With the load Wat D. For this condition, the work done ~ = WB, As the structure is loaded with the load W’at D, let an equal load W be applied at C. Further deflections of 4, and A, will occur at C and D ively. See Fig, 1.14, ‘Total work done at this stage = pe, +h, + Why Equating the two expressions obtained for the total work done when both the loads are present on the structure, we have dna, +106, +8, . +, + iwa, + Wy b= Ay e., The deflection at C due to the load i at D = the deflection at D due to the same load W at C. ‘Maxwell's law in the most general form is stated as follows : Inany structure whase material is elastic and obeys Houke's law and inwhich the supports remain uryielding and the temperature remains unchanged, the deflection of any point 1 in a direction ab due to a load W acting at a point 2 acting in u direction ed és umerically equal to the deflection of the point 2 in the direction ed due to loud W acting ut the point I in the direction ab