Finding Moment of Inertia of Cantilever Beam

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around determining the dimensions of the moment of inertia (I) for a cantilever beam, based on the deflection equation provided in mechanics of materials. Participants explore the relationship between the variables in the equation and how to manipulate it to express I in terms of other quantities.

Discussion Character

  • Homework-related
  • Mathematical reasoning

Main Points Raised

  • One participant presents a problem involving the deflection of a cantilever beam and asks if manipulating the equation for I is the correct approach.
  • Another participant questions whether the problem is dimensional in nature, drawing parallels to stress in a gravitational system.
  • A different participant provides a definition of moment of inertia for rigid bodies and mechanics of materials, stating that the dimension of I is [m^4], which aligns with the context of the problem.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants have not reached a consensus on the approach to take for determining the dimensions of I, and multiple viewpoints regarding the nature of the problem and the definition of moment of inertia are present.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved assumptions regarding the manipulation of the deflection equation and the specific context in which the moment of inertia is being defined.

EE_Student
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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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