Different materials - Elastic modulus

Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem involving a rod made of two different materials, steel and brass, joined end to end. The problem seeks to determine the change in length of each section when a force is applied, resulting in a total change in length of 1.20 mm.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the application of Young's modulus and the relationship between stress and strain. There are attempts to derive equations for the change in length for each material, with some questioning how to handle multiple elastic moduli. Others express confusion regarding the lack of specific values for force and area, and how to approach the problem of calculating the individual elongations of each section.

Discussion Status

Some participants have provided insights into the relationships between stress, strain, and elastic modulus, suggesting that each section experiences the same force but will stretch differently due to their differing material properties. There is an ongoing exploration of how to apply these concepts to find the individual changes in length, with no clear consensus yet on the method to solve the problem.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the absence of specific values for force and area, which complicates the calculations. There is also a mention of the assumption that both sections of the rod are of equal length, which may influence the approach to the problem.

flower76
Messages
51
Reaction score
0
Hi

This looks like an easy question but I'm stumped and would appreciate some help.

A rod is made of two sections joined end to end. The sections are identical, except that one is steel and the other is brass. While one end is held fixed, the other is pulled to result in a change in length of 1.20 mm. By how much does the length of each section increase?

Any ideas?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
What is the equation of young's modulus?

~H
 
I believe it to be:

change in L = (1/E)(F/A)(Lo)

I'm not sure what to do with the fact that you have two E values, add them together? Then do you ignore F and A, and is Lo actually 2Lo in this case?

Thanks
 
There would be a total length L, and one material has length x and the other one has length L-x.

Think of Hooke's Law, and the relationship between stress and strain.
See - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hooke's_law

Stress is load (force)/area.
 
I'm sorry now I think I'm even more confused, there are no values for force or area and I can't see how you would get them. Am I overlooking something?
 
Do the two parts separately. How much does each increase separately?
 
The question is to figure them out separately and I don't know how to do it. I keep going around in circles and getting answers that don't make sense.

Any other suggestions?

Thanks
 
Ok I'm still trying to figure out this question and getting nowhere, does anyone have any other suggestions. It would be greatly greatly appreciated.

Thanks
 
Please post some of your work.
 
  • #10
Ok this is what i have so far:

change in L = 1/E x L

so 0.0012 = 1/100x10^9 x X
X= 1.2 x 10^9

and the other is 0.0012 = 1/200x10^9 x L-x
L-x= 2.4x10^8
therefore L = 1.44x10^9

This doesn't look right to me but I don't know what I'm missing.
 
  • #11
First, you should probably assume that each section is the same length. That said, if the modulus of Elasticity of one material is twice the other, that means that it will stretch half as much. Thus one section stretches 0.0008 m and the other 0.0004 m.
 
  • #12
flower76 - Sorry for the confusion, I seem to have made it more complicated than necessary.

In series, i.e. with the two sections (rods/bars) end-to-end, they are subject to the 'same' force, and assuming they have the same cross-sectional area, each develops the same stress.

However, the elastic (Young's) modulus of each is different, so the strain of each will be different.

The strain is simply [itex]\epsilon[/itex] = [itex]\sigma[/itex]/E, where [itex]\epsilon[/itex] is the strain, [itex]\sigma[/itex] is the axial stress, and E is the elastic modulus.

If one section is length L1 and the other L2, then the initial length is simply L = L1 + L2. Now when the sections strain, one obtains a combined length given by (1+[itex]\epsilon[/itex]1) L1 + (1+[itex]\epsilon[/itex]2) L2.
 
  • #13
Thanks for the help I finally get it, and of course its much simpler then it originally looked.
 
  • #14
Astronuc said:
flower76 - Sorry for the confusion, I seem to have made it more complicated than necessary.

In series, i.e. with the two sections (rods/bars) end-to-end, they are subject to the 'same' force, and assuming they have the same cross-sectional area, each develops the same stress.

However, the elastic (Young's) modulus of each is different, so the strain of each will be different.

The strain is simply [itex]\epsilon[/itex] = [itex]\sigma[/itex]/E, where [itex]\epsilon[/itex] is the strain, [itex]\sigma[/itex] is the axial stress, and E is the elastic modulus.

If one section is length L1 and the other L2, then the initial length is simply L = L1 + L2. Now when the sections strain, one obtains a combined length given by (1+[itex]\epsilon[/itex]1) L1 + (1+[itex]\epsilon[/itex]2) L2.

Can you try to explain this again to me? I am really confused!
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
2K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
8K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
5K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
3K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
4K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
40K
Replies
2
Views
3K