This kit allows students to utilize a range of beams in order to understand the elastic properties of beams and cantilevers.

Beams can be fitted to one support to form a cantilever, or between two supports with different fixing methods, forming simply supported and fixed or ‘encastre’ beams. Students apply loads and measure the deflection. This product includes a set of ‘specimens’ of different metals for comparison of the elastic properties. It also allows the student to vary the length of the beam to see how this affects the magnitude of deflection for a given load.

The Digital Mitutoyo dial has its own display, but it is connected to the USB interface so data acquisition can occur across the USB cable.

Learning Objectives

• Beam bending formula
• Deflection due to point loads and UDLs (uniformly distributed loads)
• How beam fixings affect deflection of: Simply supported beams, Fixed or ‘encastre’ beams, Cantilever beams, Propped cantilever
• Shape of a deflected beam
• Beam length and deflection
• Beam material and deflection — the elastic (Young’s) modulus
• Beam cross-section and deflection — the Second Moment of Area (‘I’ value) – and material stiffness