Facultad de Ingeniería – Programa de Ingeniería Mecánica

Universidad del Atlántico

STRENGTH OF MATERIALS - TASK 1. CHAPTER 1.

1. A set of planks forms a temporary floor. Each plank is supported by a cable and rests on a pad. Consider
the loads induced in the cable and pad, due to an additional load of Fo = 400 lb applied as shown. Do
not include the weight of the plank. Determine the internal loads at the two cross-sections shown, S1
and S2, draw free body diagrams and use the conditions of equilibrium. Take the force transmitted
between the pad and the plank to be uniformly distributed.

2. A retractable ladder is supported by two arms and cables in the positions shown. Two people, who
have a total mass of 200 kg, step on the ladder. Determine the internal loads in the arm at the indicated
cross-section S. Assume that the ladder is centered between the two arms, and that the pins that the
arms pivot about exert only forces on the arms.

3. When magnetic tape is transported it needs to be under tension. Tension is controlled by a set of
motors, idlers, and brakes. This tension in the tape results in distortion of the length of the data
segments along the tape. Each segment, which is oriented parallel to the long dimension of the tape,
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 Facultad de Ingeniería – Programa de Ingeniería Mecánica
Universidad del Atlántico

has length 0.5 µm when the tape is under zero tension. The length of each segment can be up to
0.5002 µm and still be read properly. Determine the maximum strain that can be allowed in the tape

4. A rigid steel bar is supported by three rods, as shown in Fig. There is no strain in the rods before the
load P is applied. After load P is applied, the normal strain in rods (1) is 860 µm/m. Assume initial rod
lengths of L1 = 2,400 mm and L2 = 1,800 mm. Determine:
a. The normal strain in rod (2).
b. The normal strain in rod (2) if there is a 2- mm gap in the connections between the rigid bar and
rods (1) at joints A and C before the load is applied.
c. The normal strain in rod (2) if there is a 2-mm gap in the connection between the rigid bar and rod
(2) at joint B before the load is applied.

5. The 16 × 22 × 25-mm rubber blocks shown in Fig. are used in a double U shear mount to isolate the
vibration of a machine from its supports. An applied load of P = 690 N causes the upper frame to be
deflected downward by 7 mm. Determine the average shear strain and the shear stress in the rubber
blocks.

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 Facultad de Ingeniería – Programa de Ingeniería Mecánica
Universidad del Atlántico

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