Past exam of the physics B course of the University of Cambridge / 2021 / Paper 2 / Section B / B6 / c / Solution

For a slender elastic beam, the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation assumes small strain, small deflection slopes and cross-sections that remain plane and normal to the deflected centreline. A fibre at signed distance $y$ from the neutral axis has longitudinal strain ${ϵ}_{xx}=-y\kappa$, where $\kappa$ is the centreline curvature. Hooke's law gives ${\sigma }_{xx}=-Ey\kappa$, with Young's modulus $E$.

Choose the internal bending-moment sign so that $M=-\int y{\sigma }_{xx}dA$. ThenHere $I_A$ is the second moment of area, with units ${\mathrm{m}}^4$, not the mass moment of inertia of a rotating body. For a uniform material under pure bending, zero axial resultant places the neutral axis through the section's centroid.

For small slopes, $\kappa \simeq w^{\prime \prime }(x)$. Combining the moment-curvature relation with transverse force and moment balance gives, with a consistent load sign convention,For constant stiffness this becomes $E{I}_A{w}^{(4)}=q$. The bending stiffness $E{I}_A$ has units $\mathrm{N}{\mathrm{m}}^2$. Boundary conditions specify displacement and slope at a clamped end, or bending moment and shear force at a free end.

For a cantilever of length $\ell$ carrying a transverse end load $F$, take deflection positive towards the load. The moment magnitude is $M(x)=F(\ell -x)$, and integration with $w(0)=w^{\prime }(0)=0$ givesThe free-end moment vanishes and the tip shear supplies the applied load. For a rectangular section of width $b$ and bending thickness $h$, $I_A=b{h}^3/12$, so increasing thickness strongly increases bending resistance. The model ceases to be reliable for large deflections, plastic strains or short thick beams where shear deformation matters.