The Copperbelt University

School of Engineering
Mechanical Engineering Department

2023/2024 SESSIONAL EXAMINATION

EM330/331: MECHANICS OF MATERIALS

Duration: 3 Hours
Total Marks: 60

Examination Date: Friday 13/09/2024

Time: 09 − 12 hrs

INSTRUCTIONS TO CANDIDATES:
1. Clearly write your SIN and Course Code

2. There are (7) pages including this cover page.

3. Read all questions carefully before attempting

4. There are seven (7) questions in this exam, attempt any five (5).

5. Begin every question on a new page of the answer booklet.

6. Distribution of marks is shown for all the parts of the questions

7. Show all your working, NO marks will be awarded for the final answer only.

8. Where necessary, state all assumptions taken for every question answered.

9. This is a closed book examination, so NO course material is allowed in the examination

room.

10. If two or more different solutions are provided for a given question, no marks shall be
awarded.
1. Figure 1 shows the schematic stress–strain curves of three materials (marked A, B and C),
all failing abruptly at the end of their stress strain curve.

Stress A B

0 Strain
Figure 1: Stress strain curve

(a) If material A is a steel, argue which other (or none) of the other materials could be a
steel too. [1 mark]
(b) If material A has a modulus of elasticity of 200 GPa and a Yield strength of 1000
MPa, what will be the imposed strain at the onset of plastic deformation? [2 marks]
(c) If all is well the strain you calculated in subquestion (1.b) above is different from
0.2%, the strain value which historically has been used to detect the occurrence of
plastic deformation. Explain how both your answer in question (1.b) above and the
convention can be correct. [2 marks]
(d) Which material of the three materials marked in the graph would you use for a me-
chanical spring? (argue your case) [2 marks]
(e) Which material (of the 3 sketched in the graph) would you use as material for the
fender of a passenger car such as to minimise injuries to a pedestrian on impact?
(explain why you selected this material) [2 marks]
(f ) What is the difference between nominal and true stress? [1 mark]
(g) What is the fundamental differences between factor of safety in brittle and ductile
materials? [2 marks]
Total for Question 1: 12 marks

2. The overhanging steel beam ABC in Figure 2 carries a concentrated load P at end C. For
portion AB of the beam,
(a) Draw a free body diagram and determine the reactions at A and B as a function of a
and L. [3 marks]
(b) Derive the equation of the elastic curve as a function of a and L. [4 marks]
 (c) Determine the maximum deflection as a function of a and L. [3 marks]
(d) Evaluate ymax for the following data: [2 marks]

L = 4.572 m, P = 225 kN, I = 3.0052 × 10−4 m4 , a = 1.2192 m, E = 200 GPa

Total for Question 2: 12 marks

A B
C

L a

Figure 2: Overhanging steel beam

3. A stress element is shown in Figure 3 below:

σy = 60 MPa

σx = 90 MPa

τxy = 35MPa

Figure 3: Stress element

Find the following using Mohr circle:

(a) Average normal stress [1 mark]
(b) Principal stresses (σ1 , σ2 ) [2 marks]
(c) Maximum shear stress τmax [1/2 mark]
(d) The angle θ to reach the principal planes [2 marks]
(e) Find σx′ , σy′ and τx′ y′ if the element is rotated 22.5◦ CW. [41/2 marks]

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 (f ) The elastic modulus of a material is related to the shear and bulk modulus through
these equation

E = 2G(1 + ν) (z0 )
E = 3K(1 − 2ν) (z1 )

derive an expression that relate all the three modulus into one? [2 marks]
Total for Question 3: 12 marks

4. A pressure vessel containing brain juice under pressure is shown in Figure 4 below. If the
599.99 mm outer diameter ring has to fit on the 600 mm outer diameter barrel which is
initially at 28◦ C

The pressure vessel is made of A–36 Steel

whose elastic modulus is 200 GPa and co-
efficient of thermal expansion is α = 12 ×
10−6 /◦ C. Furthermore thickness of the seal
band is 2mm which is also the thickness of
the pressure vessel, and width of seal band
is 20 mm.
Seal band (a) Prove that this is a thin walled pressure
20
vessel. [1/2 mark]
2 (b) Find the temperature to make the ring fit
the barrel [2 marks]
◦
(c) Once cooled back to 28 C find the stress in
Brain Juice
A–36 Steel
the ring. [2 marks]
(d) Find pressure on the barrel created by the
ring. [2 marks]

Figure 4: Pressure vessel

(e) Calculate the change in length (∆l) and diameter ∆d due to this induced pressure,
take length of the barrel to be 1.2m. Hint take (1/m = 0.25 = ν). [4 marks]
(f ) State three factors which can influence a material mechanical properties. [11/2 marks]
Total for Question 4: 12 marks

5. (a) Draw the shear and bending moment diagram and determine maximum value of the
bending moment Mmax and indicate the position were it occurs from end A for a
triangularly load beam shown in Figure 5. [6 marks]
(b) Two designs for a beam are to be considered in Figure 6. Determine which one will
support a moment of M = 150 kN · m with the least amount of bending stress. What
is that stress? [4 marks]
(c) Should beams be designed with a low/high section modulus? Explain, use the flexture
formula in your explanation. [2 marks]
Total for Question 5: 12 marks

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 9kN/m

A B

12 m
Figure 5: simply supported beam subjected to a triangularly loaded beam

Figure 6: I−Beams subjected to a moment

6. Figure 7 shows a circular shaft whose inner diameter is 25 mm and outer diameter is 40
mm. The length of the shaft in fig. 7 are all in mm and the shaft is made of A–36 steel
whose shear modulus value is 75 GPa.
(a) Find the angle of twist of the shaft at point F with respect to point A in degrees. [6 marks]

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 4kNm 3kNm 15kNm 18kNm

A
B C D E F
200 400 300 200 200

Figure 7: Shaft transmitting torque

(b) what is the shear stress experienced in shaft BC? [1 mark]

(c) If shaft CD has to transmit 2kW of power, what should be the angular speed of the
shaft in rad/s? [2 marks]
(d) Differentiate between Hooke’s law as applied to tensile and torsional loading [2 marks]
(e) A girder of uniform section and constant depth is freely supported over a span of 3.5
metres. If the point load at the mid span is 35 kN and IXX = 15.614 × 10−6 m4 ,
calculate: The central deflection, Take : E = 200 GN/m2 . [1 mark]
Total for Question 6: 12 marks
7. (a) A slender pin ended aluminium column 1.8 m long and of circular cross section is
to have an outside diameter of 50 mm. Calculate the necessary internal diameter to
prevent failure by buckling if the actual load applied is 13·6 kN and the critical load
applied is twice the actual load. Take E for aluminium as 70 GN/m2 . Hint take
π 4
I = 64 d [3 marks]
(b) The beam shown in Figure 8 is 8m long and is supported by pin-joint at B and roller
at A. Cross-section configuration and dimensions are also shown in the Figure, and
was made from two wooden boards glued together. It supports a uniformly distributed
loading of w0 = 6.5 kN/m.
i) Draw/sketch a free-body-diagram [1 mark]
ii) Determine support reactions at A and B [1 mark]
iii) Draw a shear diagram for this loading [1 mark]
iv) Determine the maximum shear stress in the glue necessary to hold the boards
together along the seam where they are joined. [6 marks]
Total for Question 7: 12 marks

150 mm
30 mm
6.5 kN/m

A B N A
150 mm

4m 4m

30 mm

Figure 8: Uniformly loaded beam

Prepared by Mr Andrew Wisdom Zulu Cell: +26 0972004760

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