Sign of moment in buckling of column

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the assignment of moment directions in the context of buckling columns, specifically addressing the sign convention for moments in equilibrium equations. Participants explore various examples and attempt to reconcile differing interpretations of moment directions in relation to applied forces.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Mathematical reasoning
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants question why the moment M is assigned as anticlockwise in certain examples, noting discrepancies when assigning it as clockwise.
  • One participant states that for equilibrium, M + Pv = 0 leads to M = -Pv, but expresses uncertainty about the correctness of their understanding.
  • Another participant suggests drawing a free body diagram (FBD) to determine the direction and magnitude of the moment due to the applied force P.
  • Some participants assert that the moment M must be counterclockwise at the base because the applied force P induces a clockwise rotation.
  • There is a discussion about the internal moment being counterclockwise and how it relates to the applied force, with some arguing that the assumed direction of the moment should be consistent with the applied force's effect.
  • Several participants note that the sign convention for moments (positive for counterclockwise, negative for clockwise) must be adhered to for consistency, but they express confusion over differing interpretations in various examples.
  • One participant mentions that the assumed internal moment should match the direction of the applied force moment, while others challenge this assertion, indicating it may not hold true in all cases.
  • There is a mention of the need for consistency in sign conventions and how assumptions about moment directions can affect the interpretation of results.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the correct assignment of moment directions. Multiple competing views exist regarding the sign convention and the relationship between applied forces and internal moments, leading to ongoing debate and uncertainty.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight that assumptions about moment directions can vary based on specific examples and that the sign convention may not be uniformly applied across different texts. There are unresolved questions about the implications of these assumptions on the analysis of buckling columns.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to students and professionals in engineering and physics, particularly those studying structural analysis and mechanics of materials, as it addresses common confusions regarding moment sign conventions in equilibrium problems.

fonseh
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Homework Statement


Can someone explain why the M is assigned to be anticlockwise here ?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution


When i assign it as clockwise , i will get -P(δ -v) , which is different from the author ... Can i do so ? Why ?
 

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for the second example here , i can understand that M = -Pv , since M+Pv = 0 at either end when it's in equlibrium. ( I have showed in the working)

P/s : I know the the sign convention of the bending moment of beam is positive when the beam upwards as shown ...

For the first example in post#1 , i gt M+P(∂-v) = 0 , so M = - P(∂-v) .
I am not sure whether is my concept correct or not . My working is in the 3rd photo here
 

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Is my concept wrong ? can someone explain it ?
 
Draw a FBD appropriately of an arbitrary cut section of the top part of the deflected column and determine the direction and magnitude of the moment of the applied force P. What must be the direction and magnitude of the internal moment at the cut?
 
The moment M has to be counter clock wise at the base because from the given figure the applied force P will try and rotate the column clockwise
 
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sakonpure6 said:
The moment M has to be counter clock wise at the base because from the given figure the applied force P will try and rotate the column clockwise
How about the case in post#2 ? Why
M = -Pv ? For this case , why the M at the bottom = clockwise? since to balance the anticlockwise moment produced by P , the Moment has to be clockwise to counter the effect , am i right ? Just like the case in post#1 ...
 
fonseh said:
How about the case in post#2 ? Why
M = -Pv ? For this case , why the M at the bottom = clockwise? since to balance the anticlockwise moment produced by P , the Moment has to be clockwise to counter the effect , am i right ? Just like the case in post#1 ...
Yes, that's correct. So, note that in post#2 , the assumed direction of the moment in figure (b) is incorrect as it is drawn counter clockwise.
 
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sakonpure6 said:
Yes, that's correct. So, note that in post#2 , the assumed direction of the moment in figure (b) is incorrect as it is drawn counter clockwise.
So , in notes 2 , the assumed direction of the moment should be in clockwise direction . So , M = Pv ?
But , i checked out so many books and so may links , they still give M = -Pv , so are they all wrong ?
 
fonseh said:
So , in notes 2 , the assumed direction of the moment should be in clockwise direction . So , M = Pv ?
But , i checked out so many books and so may links , they still give M = -Pv , so are they all wrong ?

No , M=-Pv is correct for the assumed internal moments (positive is counter clockwise) as seen in figure (b). The assumed internal moment is counter clockwise in direction and the force P also rotates the column in a counter clockwise motion. So, ΣMoments = 0 , M+Pv=0 , M=-Pv.

Obviously, since the column is assumed to be in equilibrium, the internal moment will actually be clockwise. This is exactly what the equation tells us, M= - Pv, the negative sign means that the assumed internal moment is equal to PV but is clock wise. But the example doesn't explicitly state this. For mathematical consistency we assign clockwise moments a negative sign, and counter clock wise moments a positive sign.
 
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  • #10
sakonpure6 said:
No , M=-Pv is correct for the assumed internal moments (positive is counter clockwise) as seen in figure (b). The assumed internal moment is counter clockwise in direction and the force P also rotates the column in a counter clockwise motion. So, ΣMoments = 0 , M+Pv=0 , M=-Pv.

Obviously, since the column is assumed to be in equilibrium, the internal moment will actually be clockwise. This is exactly what the equation tells us, M= - Pv, the negative sign means that the assumed internal moment is equal to PV but is clock wise. But the example doesn't explicitly state this. For mathematical consistency we assign clockwise moments a negative sign, and counter clock wise moments a positive sign.
Do you mean for all the cases in post 1 and post 2 , the author assumed the internal moment is in counter clockwise direction ?
 
  • #11
fonseh said:
Do you mean for all the cases in post 1 and post 2 , the author assumed the internal moment is in counter clockwise direction ?
Yes, but in case 1 it is not an internal moment but a reaction moment
 
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  • #12
fonseh said:
Do you mean for all the cases in post 1 and post 2 , the author assumed the internal moment is in counter clockwise direction ?
It seems that the theory that the author assumed that the moment is counterclckwise all the time is incorrect here . I have 2 example below (from another book) . We can see that in the firstexample ( photo 1 and photo 2) book , the assumed internal moment is clockwise , for another case(photo 3 and photo4) , we can see that the reaction moment is clockwise
 

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  • #13
You can assume any direction to be positive, but for that particular problem, you need to be consistent and carry out the same assumption.
 
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  • #14
sakonpure6 said:
You can assume any direction to be positive, but for that particular problem, you need to be consistent and carry out the same assumption.
please refer to the edited post in post #12 .
 
  • #15
sakonpure6 said:
You can assume any direction to be positive, but for that particular problem, you need to be consistent and carry out the same assumption.
It seems that the author of the example in the book that i uploaded doesn't follow the rules , or i missed out something ? can you explain it ?
 
  • #16
sakonpure6 said:
You can assume any direction to be positive, but for that particular problem, you need to be consistent and carry out the same assumption.
I also found that the assumed internal moment always has the same direction with the applied force moment in both example , is this true ? why we need to make that assumption ?
 
  • #17
Assuming a direction is all but a perspective for positive and negative, have a read about the conventional sign convention:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shear_and_moment_diagram#Convention

Also,
fonseh said:
I also found that the assumed internal moment always has the same direction with the applied force moment in both example
This is not true, it depends on the situation of analysis. In post #12, question 4.4, the internal moment is drawn counter clockwise and the force P rotates the column clockwise.
 
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  • #18
sakonpure6 said:
Assuming a direction is all but a perspective for positive and negative, have a read about the conventional sign convention:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shear_and_moment_diagram#Convention

Also,

This is not true, it depends on the situation of analysis. In post #12, question 4.4, the internal moment is drawn counter clockwise and the force P rotates the column clockwise.
Well , i agree that in 4.4 the assumed moment is counterclockwise , because the moment will turn the beam in U shape (smile curve) . But , i don't understand why in 4.3 , the assumed moment is clockwise , why not anticlockwise ? Because when the assumed moment is anticlockwise , it will bend the beam in U shape
 
  • #19
It doesn't really matter what direction you assume the moment is as long as you adopt a consistent general sign convention: Assume that all counter clockwise moments are'+' and all clock wise moments are '-'.

Say in our FBD, we drew the unknown internal moment ( call it 'M') counter clockwise, then taking sum of the moments and using the above statement:
(+M) + (-PV) = 0 , then M=PV. How do we interpret this result? It means that the internal moment is of counter cockwise orientation and of magnitude PV.

Say in our FBD, we drew the unknown internal moment ( call it 'M') clockwise, then taking sum of the moments and using the above statement:
(-M) + (-PV) = 0 , then M=-PV. How do we interpret this result? It means that the internal moment is not of clockwise direction (because our answer is negative) , it is of counter clock wise direction and has magnitude PV.

Have a watch:
 
  • #20
So , shouldn,t the assumed moment is anticlockwise at the beam to enable it to have a curve U shape ? Just like the case below
 

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  • #21
sakonpure6 said:
Say in our FBD, we drew the unknown internal moment ( call it 'M') counter clockwise, then taking sum of the moments and using the above statement:
(+M) + (-PV) = 0 , then M=PV. How do we interpret this result? It means that the internal moment is of counter cockwise orientation and of magnitude PV.
You are referring to which case ? photo in 483 or photo in 485 ? I'm confused
 
  • #22
sakonpure6 said:
It doesn't really matter what direction you assume the moment is as long as you adopt a consistent general sign convention: Assume that all counter clockwise moments are'+' and all clock wise moments are '-'.

Say in our FBD, we drew the unknown internal moment ( call it 'M') counter clockwise, then taking sum of the moments and using the above statement:
(+M) + (-PV) = 0 , then M=PV. How do we interpret this result? It means that the internal moment is of counter cockwise orientation and of magnitude PV.

Say in our FBD, we drew the unknown internal moment ( call it 'M') clockwise, then taking sum of the moments and using the above statement:
(-M) + (-PV) = 0 , then M=-PV. How do we interpret this result? It means that the internal moment is not of clockwise direction (because our answer is negative) , it is of counter clock wise direction and has magnitude PV.

Have a watch:

Ya, i understand hat . But , when i try out M = Py , where EI(d2y.dx2) = Py , i gt different things with the derived equation , why can't i do so ?
 
  • #23
The negative sign in the "-Py" term is correct, although when you assume the correct direction of the internal moment for the 'pinned-pinned' case, you end up with "+Py", and get the wrong signage in the differential equation . This paradox has confused me for years. I believe the paradox is resolved when you consider that the internal moment is , when written in terms of the curvature - stiffness relationship where the absolute value of M = EI(d^2y/dx^2), that actually M= - EI(d^2y/dx^2), because the curve is concave with a negative curvature. Unlike the cantilever case in you first post, where M is shown correctly and the curvature is convex or positive.
 
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  • #24
PhanthomJay said:
, because the curve is concave with a negative curvature
How do you know that ? When we view it from different sides , it can be negative and positive curvature , right ?
 
  • #25
PhanthomJay said:
The negative sign in the "-Py" term is correct, although when you assume the correct direction of the internal moment for the 'pinned-pinned' case, you end up with "+Py", and get the wrong signage in the differential equation . This paradox has confused me for years. I believe the paradox is resolved when you consider that the internal moment is , when written in terms of the curvature - stiffness relationship where the absolute value of M = EI(d^2y/dx^2), that actually M= - EI(d^2y/dx^2), because the curve is concave with a negative curvature. Unlike the cantilever case in you first post, where M is shown correctly and the curvature is convex or positive.
Do you mean the author suume that the right is positive axis ? How about the case where the beam is curve to the left ( the max/min point located at the left) ? if this case , M= Py ?

When we apply the axial forces at the end , the beam can be deflected to both right and to the left , right ? just like the below , but , how do we determine that the beam is deflected to which direction ?
 

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  • #26
It doesn't matter in which direction the column is laterally deflected left or right. First you can adopt a convention that curvature is negative when the shape is concave with respect to the beam axis facing the beam, thus, for the pinned pinned case, curvature is negative for both left or right displacements . In answer to your question on moment signage when beam is deflected left or right for the pinned pinned case, when it deflects right, the applied eccentric moment is Py counterclockwise, and the internal moment M must be clockwise, thus
(-Py) + M = 0, or M = Py; and when it is deflected left , then the eccentric moment Py is clockwise and the internal moment M must be counterclockwise, thus (+Py) - M = 0, or M = Py, which is the same result, so again, it does not matter, and in both cases since M is - (EI)(d^2y/dx^2) , the the differential equation becomes
(EI)d^2y/dx^2 + Py = 0.
 
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  • #27
PhanthomJay said:
I believe the paradox is resolved when you consider that the internal moment is , when written in terms of the curvature - stiffness relationship where the absolute value of M = EI(d^2y/dx^2), that actually M= - EI(d^2y/dx^2), because the curve is concave with a negative curvature.
why this is not stated in the book ? I have Hibbler and Beer books with me , but it's not stated in it
 
  • #28
It is not stated in any source I can find. They all seem to throw the minus sign in there without explanation. I am still unclear why. Further , when you apply a tensile load P instead of a compressive load P, the direction of the internal moment changes, but the result is still the same, M = Py, and you get the same differential equation for the buckling solution, although the column will never buckle under tension load, because the column veil self restore to straight under increasing load, so I am still stuck here. I do remember a lecture on this in college about 50 years ago, but my notes have long since disappeared,
 
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  • #29
PhanthomJay said:
It is not stated in any source I can find. They all seem to throw the minus sign in there without explanation. I am still unclear why. Further , when you apply a tensile load P instead of a compressive load P, the direction of the internal moment changes, but the result is still the same, M = Py, and you get the same differential equation for the buckling solution, although the column will never buckle under tension load, because the column veil self restore to straight under increasing load, so I am still stuck here. I do remember a lecture on this in college about 50 years ago, but my notes have long since disappeared,
Ya, i agreed that the beam doesn't buckle under tension load , IF the beam doesn't buckle , why there is moment Py ?
 
  • #30
fonseh said:
Ya, i agreed that the beam doesn't buckle under tension load , IF the beam doesn't buckle , why there is moment Py ?
There would still be moment if the column was not ideally straight or if it was displaced laterally, even for the compression case, with lateral displacement or a not straight column, the collimn would not buckle if the applied load was less than the critical load.
 
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