Dr.

r. Sudhir Chan
Chandra
dra Sur Institute of
Technology
Technology&& Sport Complex
540, Dum Dum Road, Surer math, Kolkata – 700074
Phone: +91 33 25603889,
Website: www.
www.surtech.edu.in, Email: info@dsec.ac.in

BS-PH 191/291 Experiment No. 03

0

To Determine Young’s Modulus of the

Material of a Bar by the Method of
Flexure and To Calculate the Bending
Moment and Shear Force at a point on
the Beam
 Experiment No. 3

Aim of the Experiment:

To determine the Young’s Modulus of the given material by flexure method.

Apparatus Used:
Supplied material (iron rod), Screw gauge, Travelling Microscope, Linear scale, Slide
Calliperse and Screw Gauge.

Theory and Working Formulae:

Young’s Modulus: The mechanical property of a material to withstand the compression
or the elongation with respect to its length. The Young's modulus (Y) is a property of the
material that tells us how easily it can stretch and deform and is defined as the ratio of
longitudinal stress (σ) to longitudinal strain (ε). Where stress is the amount of force applied
per unit area (σ = F/A) and strain is extension per unit length (ε = dl/l).
S.I. unit for the Shear modulus is N/m2.

𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔′𝑠 𝑀𝑜𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑢𝑠 = = ∆ =
∆

Hence, the Modulus of rigidity is the ratio of shear stress (F/A) to the shear strain (l/l).
 F is the force acting on the object.
 A is the area on which the force is acting.
 l is the longitudinal displacement.
 l is the initial length.
Working Formula:
If a light bar of breadth b and depth d is placed horizontally and two knife edges separated by
a distance L , and a load of mass m , applied at the midpoint of the beam, produces a
depression l of the beam, then the Young’s Modulus is given by,

gL3 m
Y . (1)
4bd 3 l
Where g is the acceleration due to gravity in meter /sec2 , L is measured in meter ; b , d and
l are also measured in meter ; m in kgm and Y is calculated in Newton / meter 2 .

The Bending Moment at a point on the beam is given by,

YI g
Bending Moment  (2)
R

bd 3
Where, Ig  (3)
12

d0 2
And, R (4)
2x

with d0  the distance of the point, where the bending moment is to be calculated from the
midpoint of the beam; and

x  x  x1 (5)

with x  the depression o the midpoint after applying a mass M at midpoint and
x1  the depression of the point at a distance d0 from the midpoint after applying a mass M at
the midpoint.
The Shear force at a point on the beam is given by,
M
Shear Force  (6)
2bd
Experimental Data:
A) Determination of the Breadth (b) of the Bar/ Beam by Slide Callipers :
________ Divisions of the vernier scale ( m)  ________ Divisions of the main scale ( n )

Table-1
(Determination of the Vernier Constant of the Slide Calliperse)

Value of one smallest Value of one vernier Vernier constant

Main scale division (l1 ) cm. n V .C.  l1  l2
division ( l2  l1 ) cm.
m

Table-2
(Determination of the breadth, b, of the bar)

Sl Main scale Vernier Total Mean Error Corrected

N0 reading scale T  M V uncorrecte ( e) cm. (b) cm.
( M ) cm reading X d (b) cm.
v.c
(V ) cm.

B) Determination of Depth (d) of the Bar/Beam by Screw Gauge:

Table-3
(Determination of the Least Count of the Screw gauge)

Pitch of the screw ( p) cm. No. of divisions on the Least count L.C .  p n cm.
Circular scale ( n )
 Table-4
(Determination of the breadth, b, of the bar)

No of Main Circular Total Mean Error Correcte

observ scale scale reading T  M  ( L.C .  C .S.) uncorrecte ( e) d (d)
ation reading (L.C .  C .S.) d (d)
M

Calculation of gL3/4bd3 :

C) Determination of the vernier constant of the Travelling Microscope:

__________Divisions of the vernier scale ( m)  __________ Divisions of the main scale ( n )

Table-5
(Determination of the Vernier Constant of the Travelling Microscope)

Value of the Main scale Value of one vernier Vernier constant

Division (l1 ) cm. n V .C.  (l1  l2 ) cm.
division l2  .l1 cm.
m
 D) Load-Depression Data:
Table-6

Microscope Reading for load Microscope Reading for load Mean Depression
No. of obser vations
Load Applied

increasing increasing Microscope (l)

Reading
Main Vernier Total Main Vernier Total
Scale Reading T=M+ Scale Reading T=M+
(M) (V) V X v.c. (M) (V) V X v.c

gm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm.

1 0 =a =a-a

2 500 =b =b-a

3 1000 =c =c-a

4 1500 =d =d-a

5 2000 =e =e-a

6 2500 =f =f-a

7 3000 =g =g-a

8 3500 =h =h-a

9 4000 =i =i-a

Slope of the Depression vs. Load curve = _____________________

Calculated Value of the Young’s Modulus (Y) = × =

 E) Data for Bending Moment and Shear Force :-
Table-7
( Applied Load (M) = 2000 gm.)

Microscope Reading at the Mid – point of the Microscope Reading at the cross – Mark of the
bar bar

Before Applying After Applying After Applying load

Applyin

Depression at the Cross - Mark

Before

g load
load load

Depression at the Midpoint

x1 = y4~y3
Total y4 = M + V
Total y2 = M + V

Total y3 = M + V
Total y1 = M + V

x = y1~y2
Main Scale (M)

Main Scale (M)

Main Scale (M)

Main Scale (M)

Vernier (V)

Vernier (V)

Vernier (V)

Vernier (V)
cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm.

F). Calculation of Y :-

So, the measured value of

Y  ______________ Dyne/cm 2
 ______________ Newton/meter 2
 G). Calculation
lculation of the Bending Moment :-
Table-11

Value of x1 from Table - 7 Value of Value of Value of Y Value of

Value of b from Table - 2

Value of x from Table - 7

Value of d from Table - 4

R from Bending
Table - 10 Moment
∆x = x – x
Value of

cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm. cm.4 Dyne / cm.2 Dyne cm.

So the measured value of the Bending Moment : ......................................... Dyne .

cm.
= ...........................................Newton
Metre