Description
Experiment for the study of buckling of struts and the relationships between length, end fixing conditions and buckling load. Mounts on the Structures platform and connects to the Structures automatic data acquisition unit and software.
One of a range of experiment modules that fit the Structures platform (STS1, available separately), this product helps students to understand the nature of buckling in slender beams that simulate ‘struts’. Students fit one of a choice of struts between the two major parts of the product. One part has a hand-operated control to apply the buckling force. The other part has a load cell to measure the applied load.
Students apply a buckling force to a strut, measuring the load and the point at which the strut collapses or ‘buckles’. Students use textbook equations, including Euler’s theory to predict the buckling loads, comparing them with measured results. This helps confirm the reliability of the textbook equations and the accuracy of the experiment results.
This product includes specimen struts of different lengths for comparison of the buckling loads. It also includes different strut end fixings for comparisons of how they affect the buckling load and shape of the strut as it buckles. A Vernier caliper (included) allows students to measure the cross-section of the struts.
The load cell connects to the USB interface hub of the Structures platform for computer display and data acquisition.