How Much Weight Can an 8mm Diameter Steel Bar Safely Support?

AI Thread Summary
The ultimate tensile strength of steel is 470 MPa, leading to a calculated maximum load of 23624.78 N for an 8mm diameter steel bar. However, applying a factor of safety of 5 means the maximum working load should be determined by dividing the maximum load by 5, resulting in 4724.96 N or approximately 472.5 kg. There was confusion regarding whether to multiply or divide the maximum load by the factor of safety. Proper calculations should start with symbolic equations before substituting numerical values for clarity. Understanding these principles is crucial for ensuring safety in load-bearing applications.
dblanche
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The Ultimate tensile strength of steel is 470MPa.

Assuming a factor of safety of 5 the maximum working load an 8.00mm diameter round steel bar should support against gravity is?
 
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And the work you have done so far towards solving the problem is... ?

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I have used every formula that I can think of, I've used the following equations:



Stress= Force / Area
470 x 10E06 = force / 5.03 x 10E-05
Force = 23624.78 N

then multiply 23624.78 by the factor of safety being 5
= 118123.9 Newtons?


Don't really know how to do it, could you please give us some hints?
 
dblanche said:
I have used every formula that I can think of, I've used the following equations:
Stress= Force / Area
470 x 10E06 = force / 5.03 x 10E-05
Force = 23624.78 N
This is correct. You've calculated the maximum load.

then multiply 23624.78 by the factor of safety being 5
= 118123.9 Newtons?
There's a small error here. Should the allowable load be 5 times the maximum load ? What happens to the rod if you apply a load greater than the maximum load ?

Before you do any calculation involving numbers, first write down all the necessary equations using symbols to represent the various quantities involved. Plug in the numbers only after you've arrived at a final equation with the required unknown on one side, and all the knowns on the other.
 
No the allowable load would not be 5 times the maximum load, you divide this maximum load by 5 to give the maximum working load, which is 472.5 kg or 4724.96 Newtons........

Thanks for your help
 
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