Beam Bending Lab
ENGR 1181
Lab # 6

 Students will develop techniques to measure the deflection of a cantilever beam using a dial caliper.
 Students will calculate familiar calculations for and concepts regarding:
• Stress
• Strain
• Young’s Modulus of Elasticity
• Moment of Inertia

Dial Indicator
Pulley
Vertical
Cantilever
Beam
Weight
Holder
Clamp
Extra
Weights

 Your team is responsible for completing one lab memo.
 During this lab, each group will divide into two groups to work more closely with the beam bending apparatus.
 Measure Deflection (y-axis) versus Force (x-axis) for:
• Aluminum Rectangular Beam
• Copper Rectangular Beam
• Copper Square Beam
• “Unknown” Rectangular Beam

Deflection vs. Force for Aluminum Beam
0,300
0,250
0,200
0,150
0,100
0,050
0,000
0,00 0,20 0,40 0,60 0,80 1,00
Force (Weight) applied to Beam (lbf)
1,20
Measured
Theory

 Make sure the beams are securely fastened, but without over-tightening.
 Use dial caliper properly and follow instructions.
 Make sure bezel is properly aligned.
 Check numbers put in excel worksheet. Do they make sense?

 This dial indicator is unloaded, and shows a reading of 0.989”, or -0.011”
(yours will be close). It is negative because the plunger is not engaged.
 There is a locking screw in the upper right that should stay tightened.
 The bezel (front adjustable ring) should not be moved. The black marker must always line up with the plunger.

 When the beam is placed against the plunger (needle at bottom of picture), the dial should move and is then
“engaged”.
 Your “zero weight” reading will not be exactly zero.
• It is a starting point for all other measurements to be compared.

0.119” 0.282”

 Using a dial caliper properly.
 Do not rotate the bezel.
 Apply the concept and formulas for stress, strain,
Young’s Modulus, and Moment of Inertia.
 Think about how material and shape configuration impacts design decisions.

 The next lab is a 2-part series involving Wind
Turbines.
 This will familiarize students with wind turbine design, efficiency calculations, power generation, and creative design.
 Prepare for Lab 7A by reading the Wind Turbine
Lab – Part A preparation material.

Topic
Marble Delivery System
Quality and Productivity
Circuits
Solar Meter
Solar Cell
Beam Bending
Wind Turbine 1
Wind Turbine 2
Problem Solving Project 1
Problem Solving Project 2
Problem Solving Project 3
Document Type
None
Executive Summary
Executive Summary
--
Memo (Combined)
Memo
--
Report (Combined)
Project Notebook
(Combined)