Tensile stress and strain: A steel rod 55 cm long has a diameter of 30 cm. The compressive strength (the maximum stress it can support without breaking) of this steel is 500 × 10⁶ N/m². What is the compression force that would break the rod?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The compression force that would break the rod can be calculated using the formula for stress, which is force divided by area. The compressive strength of the steel is given as 500 × 10^6 N/m^2. The area of the cross-section of the rod can be calculated using the formula for the area of a circle, πr^2, where r is the radius of the rod. The diameter is given as 30 cm, so the radius is 15 cm or 0.15 m. The area is then π(0.15)^2 ≈ 0.0707 m^2. The maximum force before breaking is the compressive strength times the area, or 500 × 10^6 N/m^2 × 0.0707 m^2 ≈ 35.35 × 10^6 N, which is 3.5 × 10^7 N.

Tensile Stress and Strain: a Steel Rod 55 Cm Long