Downloadables

Base

This channel section serves as a base for the model.

Quantity: 1

Dark Plastic Beam

Three plastic beams of different thicknesses were used so that beams with different degrees of bending stiffness were available to the students. For clamped beams with multiple supports, the most flexible beam (“Thin Beam”) worked best as it produced sufficient deflections. For simply-supported beams, the “Dark Beam” often worked best, and for cantilever designs, the “Thick Beam” was usually appropriate as it did not deflect excessively.

Quantity: 1

Thick Clear Plastic Beam

For cantilever designs, the “Thick Beam” was usually appropriate as it did not deflect excessively.

Quantity: 1

Thin Clear Plastic Beam

For clamped beams with multiple supports, the most flexible beam (“Thin Beam”) worked best as it produced sufficient deflections.

Quantity: 1

Dial Gauge

The base of these gauges is designed to sit inside the channel-shaped Base. The springs have been taken out of the dial gauges for the reasons explained on the main page associated with this model.

Quantity: 2

Support

Each support is designed to lock into the Base using a Support Locking Pin and to provide either simple or clamped support. If the magnetically-secured top plate is removed, the remaining triangular shape provides a sharp fulcrum, and a simple support. If the top plate is installed, then a flat surface is provided, and the beam can be clamped to theplate using a Clamp.

Quantity: 2

Support Locking Pin

These pins lock the Supports into position in the Base. They are especially important when the Supports are providing clamped support to the beam.

Quantity: 2

Clamp

Each spring-loaded Clamp is able to securely anchor one point along the beam to one of the Supports when the top plate is installed on that support. The clamp could be attached in the plane of the base, or turned sideways, normal to the base. The latter approach was especially useful for constructing cantilever beams that are shorter than the full length of the Beams, as it allows part of the Beam to overhang the support.

Quantity: 1

Weights

We used nuts as weights, but other kinds of weights could be used, provided that that there is sufficient uniformity from one object to the next.

Quantity: 6