
Testing the length and strength of beams
ZIMSEC O Level Combined Science Notes: Experiment:To investigate whether the depth of a beam affects its strength
Aim: To show how the length of a beam affects its strength
Materials: drinking straws, clamps, weights
Method
- Clamp the ends of a straw and measure its length
- Add weights in the middle of the straw and find its breaking strength
- Shorten the straw by 2 cm a time and find the breaking strength of each length length
- Put the results in a table and plot them on a graph
- Repeat steps 1 to 3 using four or five straws tied together
Results and Observations
- The longest beam is much more easily broken
- The longer the beam the more easily it can be broken
- This problem can be solved by having multiple support points along the length of the beam
- When more straws are used the beam becomes stronger and supports more mass/weights
Conclusion
- The strength of a beam decreases as its length increases
- Multiple support points can be used to reduce the impact of this effect
- A beam is stronger when it is made thicker
To access more topics go to the Combined Science Notes page.
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