Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology Allahabad
Department of Applied Mechanics
Tutorial Sheet-1, Mechanics of Materials (AMN13101)
(Semester III, Session 2024-25)
B.Tech (Mechanical Engineering and Production and Industrial Engineering)
1. Compare typical stress-strain curves of mild steel and aluminum (using appropriate figures). Frame your
discussion using the following characteristics: proportional limit, yield point, strain hardening, ultimate
strength, and breaking stress.
2. Discuss allowable stress and factor of safety with few examples.
3. The steel bar (E = 210 GPa) has a constant width of 35 mm and a thickness of 10 mm. Determine the
maximum average normal stress in the bar when it is subjected to the loading shown in Fig. 1. Draw the
axial force diagram as well. (Ans: max = 87.5 MPa )
4. The bar has a cross-sectional area A and is subjected to the axial load P. Determine the average normal
and average shear stresses acting over a section oriented at from the horizontal. Plot the variation of
these stresses as a function of ( 0 90o ). What can be deduced from these plots? (Ans:
P P
avg = Sin2 ; avg = Sin2 )
A 2A
5. An elastomeric bearing pad consisting of two steel plates bonded to a chloroprene elastomer (an artificial
rubber) is subjected to a shear force V during a static loading test (see Fig. 2). The pad has dimensions, a
= 125 mm and b = 240 mm, and the elastomer has thickness t = 50 mm. When the force V equals 12 kN,
the top plate is found to have displaced laterally 8.0 mm with respect to the bottom plate. What is the
shear modulus of elasticity G of the chloroprene?
6. A force P of 70 N is applied by a rider to the front hand brake of a bicycle as shown in Fig. 3 (P is the
resultant of an evenly distributed pressure). As the hand brake pivots at A, a tension T develops in the
460-mm long brake cable (Ae = 1.075 mm2) which elongates by 0.214 mm. Find normal stress and strain
in the brake cable.
7. A car weighing 130 kN when fully loaded is pulled slowly up a steep inclined track by a steel cable (see
Fig. 4). The cable has an effective cross-sectional area of 490 mm2, and the angle a of the incline is 30°.
Calculate the tensile stress in the cable.
8. A circular aluminum tube of length L = 400 mm is loaded in compression by forces P (see Fig. 5). The
outside and inside diameters are 60 mm and 50 mm, respectively. A strain gage is placed on the outside
of the bar to measure normal strains in the longitudinal direction.
(a) If the measured strain in ε= 550 x10-6, what is the shortening of the bar?
(b) If the compressive stress in the bar is intended to be 40 MPa, what should be the load P?
9. The average shear stress in each of the 6 mm diameter bolts and along each of the four shaded shear
planes (Fig. 6) is not allowed to exceed 80 MPa and 500 kPa, respectively. Determine the maximum
axial force P that can be applied to the joint. (Ans: P = 9.05 kN)
10. The 50-mm-diameter rubber rod of length L is placed in a hole with rigid, lubricated walls. There is no
clearance between the rod and the sides of the hole. Determine the change in the length of the rod when
the 8-kN load is applied. Use E = 40 GPa and ν = 0.45. (Ans: = -0.02686L )
11. The steel column of circular cross section is attached to rigid supports at A and C. Find the maximum
stress in the column caused by the 25 kN load. (Fig. 7) (Ans:σmax=88.4 MPa (compressive))
12. A prismatic bar AB of length L, cross-sectional area A, modulus of elasticity E, and weight W hangs
vertically under its own weight (Fig. 8).
(a) Derive a formula for the downward displacement of point C, located at distance h from the lower end
of the bar.
(b) What is the elongation B of the entire bar?
(c) What is the ratio of the elongation of the upper half of the bar to the elongation of the lower half of
the bar?
13. The assembly shown in the Fig. 9 consists of a brass core (diameter d1 = 0.25 in.) surrounded by a steel
shell (inner diameter d2 = 0.28 in., outer diameter d3 = 0.35 in.). A load P compresses the core and shell,
which have length L = 4.0 in. The moduli of elasticity of the brass and steel are Eb = 15 x 106 psi and Es
1
= 30 x 106 psi, respectively.
(a) What load P will compress the assembly by 0.003 in.?
(b) If the allowable stress in the steel is 22 ksi and the allowable stress in the brass is 16 ksi, what is the
allowable compressive load Pallow?
14. The rails of a railroad track are welded together at their ends (to form continuous rails and thus eliminate
the clacking sound of the wheels) when the temperature is 60°F. What compressive stress is produced in
the rails when they are heated by the sun to 120°F if the coefficient of thermal expansion α=6.5 x10-6/°F
and the modulus of elasticity E =30 x106 psi?
15. The rigid bar of negligible weight is supported as shown in Fig. 10. If W = 80 kN, compute the
temperature change of the assembly that will cause a tensile stress of 50 MPa in the steel rod. Use the
following data:
(Ans: ΔT=22.7oC)
16. Axial loads are applied to the compound rod that is composed of an aluminum segment rigidly connected
between steel and bronze segments. (see Fig. 11)
a) What is the stress in each material given that P = 10 kN?
b) Find the largest safe value of P if the working stresses are 120 MPa for steel, 68 MPa for
aluminum, and 110 MPa for bronze.
Ans: a)σbronze = 50MPa; σAl = 33.3MPa; σsteel = 100MPa; b) P=12kN
17. A polyethylene bar having diameter 𝑑1 =4.0 inches is placed inside a steel tube having inner diameter
𝑑2 = 4.01 inches (Fig. 12). The polyethylene bar is then compressed by an axial force P. At what value of
the force P will the space between the polyethylene bar and the steel tube be closed? (For polyethylene, E
= 200 ksi &𝜈 = 0.4) (Ans: P=-15.71 kips)
18. The truss ABC shown in the Fig. 13 supports a horizontal load 𝑃1 = 300𝑙𝑏 and a vertical load 𝑃2 =
900𝑙𝑏 . Both bars have cross-sectional area 𝐴 = 2.4 sq.in. and are made of steel with 𝐸 =
30 × 106 𝑝𝑠𝑖.
(a) Determine the strain energy 𝑈1 of the truss when the load 𝑃1 acts alone (𝑃2 = 0).
(b) Determine the strain energy 𝑈2 when the load 𝑃2 acts alone (𝑃1 = 0).
(c) Determine the strain energy 𝑈3 when both loads act simultaneously. Why 𝑈3 ≠ 𝑈1 + 𝑈2 ?
Ans: 𝑈1 = 0.0375in.-𝑙𝑏; 𝑈2 = 2.57in.-𝑙𝑏; 𝑈3 = 2.22in.-𝑙𝑏;
19. A prismatic bar AD of length L, cross-sectional area A, and modulus of elasticity E is subjected to loads
5P, 3P, and P acting at points B, C, and D, respectively (see Fig. 14). Segments AB, BC, and CD have
lengths L/6, L/2, and L/3, respectively.
(a) Obtain a formula for the strain energy U of the bar.
(b) Calculate the strain energy if P = 6 k, L = 52 in., A = 2.76 in.2, and the material is aluminum with
E = 10.4 x 106 psi.
20. The bar ABC shown in the Fig. 15 is loaded by a force P acting at end C and by a force Q acting at the
midpoint B. The bar has constant axial rigidity EA.
(a) Determine the strain energy U1 of the bar when the force P acts alone (Q = 0).
(b) Determine the strain energy U2 when the force Q acts alone (P = 0).
(c) Determine the strain energy U3 when the forces P and Q act simultaneously upon the bar.
2
Fig. 1 Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8 Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
3
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14
Fig. 15
