Finding Moment of Inertia of Cantilever Beam

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on determining the moment of inertia (I) of a cantilever beam using the mechanics of materials equation for deflection, d = PL^3 / 3EI. Participants clarify that the moment of inertia is defined as I = ∫_A r² dA, where r is the distance from the axis, leading to the conclusion that the dimensions of I are [m^4]. The manipulation of the original equation to express I in terms of d is confirmed to be correct, reinforcing the relationship between deflection and moment of inertia in structural analysis.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of mechanics of materials principles
  • Familiarity with the concept of moment of inertia
  • Knowledge of dimensional analysis in physics
  • Basic calculus for integration of area
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the derivation of the moment of inertia for various cross-sectional shapes
  • Learn about the relationship between deflection and bending moments in beams
  • Explore advanced topics in structural analysis using finite element methods
  • Investigate the application of the Euler-Bernoulli beam theory in engineering
USEFUL FOR

Mechanical engineers, civil engineers, and students studying structural mechanics will benefit from this discussion, particularly those focused on beam analysis and design.

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Ok I was given this problem:

Problem: The deflection d of a cantilever beam of length L is given by the mechanics of materials equation d=PL^3/3EIWhere P is the force on the end of the beam and E is the modulus of elasticity, which has the same dimensions as pressure.Determine the dimensions of I which is the moment of Inertia.

Are they simply asking you to manipulate the equation for I? If so would the following be correct? A little help would be appreciated, thanks.

I= 1/d(PL^3/3E):confused:
 
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Any help appreciated.
 
is this a dimensional problem?, like stress is F/L^2, in a gravitational system (FLT)
 
Generally, we define the moment of inertia for a rigid body as \int_{V} r^2 \rho dV = \int_{V} r^2 dm, so the dimension is [kg*m^2]. But, in mechanics of materials, we define the axial moment of inertia of a cross section with the area A, as \int_{A} r^2 dA, where r is the perpendicular distance of the elementary area dA to the axis for which the moment of inertia is defined, so, for example, we have I_{z}=\int_{A} y^2 dA. So, the dimension is [m^4], which fits into your problem of expressing I out of d = PL^3 / 3EI.
 

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