Experiment Code G

Strength of Materials Lab

Salman Muhammed Aslam ME16B163

Shashank R ME16B164
Shubham Jain ME16B165
 Spring Stiffness Test
Aim:
To determine the stiffness constant of three different springs
by loading them and plotting weight versus displacement from mean
position of spring.
Theory:
The force-displacement relation for a linear spring under
tension or compression is
F = kL
F = Force acting on the spring.
= deformation.
kL = constant of proportionality termed linear spring stiffness.
Using this equation the value of kL for a linear spring can be
determined if a set of data of the measurement of the deflection
under the application of measured loads F is available.
The linear spring constant kL can also be determined
theoretically from the knowledge of the geometrical dimensions of
the spring and the elastic constant of the material of the spring.
When the diameter of the wire is small in comparison to the radius
of the coil and when the load is applied in the axial direction through
the centre of the spring, the spring stiffness is given by

=

G = shear modulus of the spring material.
r = spring wire radius.
n = number of active coils in the helical linear spring.
R = mean radius of the helical spring.
 Observation:
1) Cylindrical Tension Spring:
Load Load Loading Loading Unloading Unloading Mean
S.NO Deflection
(cm)

Kg N Vernier Deflection Vernier Deflection

Reading (cm) Reading (cm)
(cm) (cm)

1 0.0 0 41.4 0 41.4 0 0

2 0.5 4.9 41.5 0.1 41.5 0.1 0.1

3 1.0 9.8 41.6 0.2 41.6 0.2 0.2

4 1.5 14.7 41.7 0.3 41.7 0.3 0.3

5 2.0 19.6 41.8 0.4 41.8 0.4 0.4

6 2.4 23.52 42 0.6 42 0.6 0.6

Theoretical :
Diameter of the wire (d) = 3.06mm
Radius of the wire(r) = 1.53mm
Diameter of circulating ring (D) = 31.70mm
Radius of circulating ring (R) = 14.32mm
Number of active turns (n) = 34
Shear modulus (G) = 80GPa

=

4
(80 109 )(1.53 103 )
= 3
(4)(34)(14.32 103 )
=1.097kN/m
Practical kL:

Cylindrical Tension Spring

30
y = 42x + 1.05
25 R = 0.9796

20
Y-LOAD (N)

15

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7
X-DEFLECTION (CM)

Equation of the line is

= + .
Where y is in N and x is in cm.
Comparing with = +
Slope m = 42N/cm. Hence kL = m = 4.2kN/m.
Conical Tension Spring:

Sl. Load Load Loading Loading Unloading Unloading Mean

No
Deflection
kg N Vernier Deflection Vernier Deflection
Reading (cm) Reading (cm)
(cm)
(cm) (cm)

1 0.0 0 9.4 0 9.4 0 0.00

2 0.5 4.9 9.3 0.1 9.3 0.1 0.10

3 1.0 9.8 9.2 0.4 9.2 0.2 0.20

4 1.5 14.7 9.0 0.4 8.9 0.5 0.45

5 2.0 19.6 8.8 0.6 8.7 0.7 0.65

6 2.5 24.5 8.6 0.8 8.6 0.8 0.80

Theoretical kL:
Diameter of the wire (d) = 3mm
Radius of the wire (r) = 1.5mm
Mean diameter of circulating ring (D) = 26.6mm
Radius of circulating ring (R) = 11.8mm
Number of active turns (n) = 33
Shear modulus (G) = 80GPa

=

4
(80 109 )(1.5 103 )
= 3
(4)(33)(11.8 103 )
=1.867kN/m

Practical kL:

Conical Tension Spring

30

25 y = 28.436x + 1.8234
R = 0.9783

20
LOAD (N)

15

10

0
0 0.1 0.2 0.3 0.4 0.5 0.6 0.7 0.8 0.9
DEFLECTION (CM)

Equation of the line is

= . + .
Where y is in N and x is in cm.
Comparing with = +
Slope m = 28.436N/cm. Hence kL = m = 2.84kN/m.
Compression Spring:

Load Load Loading Loading Unloading Unloading Mean

S.
No Deflection

(cm)
kg N Vernier Deflection Vernier Deflection
Reading (cm) Reading (cm)
(cm) (cm)

1 0.0 0 10.7 0.0 10.7 0.0 0.00

2 0.5 4.9 10.4 0.3 10.3 0.4 0.35

3 1.0 9.8 10.1 0.6 10 0.7 0.65

4 1.5 14.7 9.7 1.0 9.7 1.0 1.00

5 2.0 19.6 9.4 1.3 9.3 1.4 1.35

6 2.5 24.5 9.1 1.6 9.1 1.6 1.60

Theoretical kL:
Diameter of the wire (d) = 2.88mm
Radius of the wire(r) = 1.44mm
Diameter of circulating ring (D) = 38.64mm
Radius of circulating ring (R) = 17.88mm
Number of active turns (n) = 11
Shear modulus (G) = 80GPa

=

9 3 4
(80 10 )(1.44 10 )
=
3 3
(4)(11)(17.88 10 )
=1.367kN/m
Compression Spring
30

25 y = 14.561x - 0.2478
R = 0.9976
20

15
LOAD (N)

10

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 1.6 1.8
-5
DEFLECTION (CM)

Equation of the line is

= . .
Where y is in N and x is in cm.
Comparing with
= +
Slope m = 14.561N/cm. Hence kL = m = 1.46kN/m.
 Cylindrical Tension Spring Conical Tension Spring Compression Spring

Result:
The stiffness constant of the given three different springs are
determined by plotting weight versus displacement of spring from
mean position.
1) Conical Tension Spring:
a. kL (Theoretical) = 1.867kN/m
b. kL (Experimental) = 2.4kN/m
2) Cylindrical Tension Spring:
a. kL (Theoretical) = 1.097kN/m
b. kL (Experimental) = 4.2kN/m
3) Cylindrical Compression Spring:
a. kL (Theoretical) = 1.367kN/m
b. kL (Experimental) = 1.46kN/m
Measurement of Bending Stress using a Strain
Gauge
Aim:
To determine the bending stress of cantilever beam subjected
to point load at tip using strain gauge and compare it with theoretical
bending stress.
Theory:

A strain gauge is an instrument used to measure the strain

developed on the surface of an object. It has resistive conductor
whose resistance increases when the surface on which it is mounted
is in tension and decreases when it is in compression. This property
of the strain gauge is used to calculate the strain developed on the
surface. For this calculation the below formula is used:
/
=

SG = strain gauge factor.
= change in resistance of strain gauge.
= resistance of strain gauge on deformation.
= the strain.

To calculate stress:
 =
is stress.
is youngs modulus of material under stress.

Flexure Relations:

= =

= radius of curvature of the bent beam.
= is the distance of the point of interest from the line of zero stress. In
case of this cantilever beam as the strain gauge is mounted in the surface
it is the point of interest and the line of zero stress is actually the mid line
of the cross-section of the beam.
=Moment of inertia about the axis along the width of the beam at the
tip.
=Moment due to point load at the tip.

Load-Deflection relation:

=

= deflection at the edge of the beam.
Lo = Length of the beam from fixed end.
Observation:
Dimensions of Aluminium beam:
1) Length from fixed point to tip L0 = 25cm
2) Length from strain gauge to tip L1 = 24.5cm
3) Width of the beam (b)= 2.5cm
4) Thickness of the beam (h)= 6.2mm
5) = 3 /12 = 4.96 x 10-10kgm2
6) Youngs Modulus of Al (E) = 69GPa
7) SG = 2.054
 Displa
Sr y
. Deflectio value Strain Strain Stress Stress percenta
N n (x10-6 experiment theoretic experiment theoretic ge
o in mm ) al () al () al (mPa) al (mPa) variance

1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

2 0.5 102 102 72.912 7.038 5.030928 39.89467

3 1 213 213 145.824 14.697 10.06186 46.06649

4 1.5 326 326 218.736 22.494 15.09278 49.03811

5 2 444 444 291.648 30.636 20.12371 52.23831

6 2.5 568 568 364.56 39.192 25.15464 55.80426

7 3 693 693 437.472 47.817 30.18557 58.41014

8 3.5 819 819 510.384 56.511 35.2165 60.46741

9 4 944 944 583.296 65.136 40.24742 61.83893

10 4.5 1072 1072 656.208 73.968 45.27835 63.36284

11 5 1195 1195 729.12 82.455 50.30928 63.8962

Result:
The bending stress of the aluminium beam is determined by
loading the tip with different point loads.