PASCO ME-8987 User Manual

Super-Flex I-Beam

ME-8987

Top Grid

Instruction Sheet

012-10603A

Side Grid

Included Equipment Part Number

Super-Flex I-Beam ME-8987

Introduction

The model ME-8987 Super-Flex I-Beam illustrates beam stiffness and deflection. Because it flexes more than a
metal or wooden beam, students can easily observe that its vertical stiffness is greater than its horizontal stiff­ness. Use the Super-Flex I-Beam to qualitatively demonstrate how a beam bends under various load and support
configurations.

Grids on the top and one side of the I-beam show the amount of deflection in a qualitative way. The grid on top is
approximately 25.4 cm (10 in) long and 3.8 cm (1.5 in) wide with 1.2 cm by 1.2 cm (0.5 in by 0.5 in) squares.
The grid on the side is approximately 12 cm long and 2 cm wide with 1 cm by 1 cm squares.

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Super-Flex I-Beam ME-8987

Demonstrations

Bending

Hold the I-beam in your hands and bend it in the “upright” and “side” directions as
illustrated. Hold the I-beam with the top grid facing the students and demonstrate the
distortion as the beam is bent (see Figure 2a). In which direction is it easier to bend?
For the same effort, in which direction does it bend more?

Buckling

Bend the I-beam in the upright position and continue to bend it until the beam buckles
(see Figure 2b). Another way to show this mode of failure is to stand the I-beam on its
end and press down on the top end until the column buckles.

Torsi on

Twist the I-beam to demonstrate its lack of strength under torsion (see Figure 2c). .

(2b) Buckle

Upright

Side

Figure 1: Illustration of

I-beam bent in upright

and side directions

(2a) Bending

Figure 2

Technical Support

(2c) Torsion

For assistance with any PASCO product, contact PASCO at:

Address: PASCO scientific

10101 Foothills Blvd.

Roseville, CA 95747-7100

Phone: [phone] (worldwide)

800-772-8700 (U.S.)

Fax: [phone]

Web: www.pasco.com

Email: [e-mail]

Limited Warranty

For a description of the product warranty, see the PASCO catalog.

Copyright

The PASCO scientific 012-10603A Super-Flex I-Beam Instruction Sheet is copyrighted with all rights reserved. Permission is granted
to non-profit educational institutions for reproduction of any part of this manual, providing the reproductions are used only in their lab­oratories and classrooms, and are not sold for profit. Reproduction under any other circumstances, without the written consent of
PASCO scientific, is prohibited.

Trademarks

PASCO, PASCO scientific, and ScienceWorkshop are trademarks or registered trademarks of PASCO scientific, in the United States
and/or in other countries. All other brands, products, or service names are or may be trademarks or service marks of, and are used to
identify, products or services of, their respective owners. For more information visit www.pasco.com/legal.

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