In: Physics
A thin uniform pole of length 30 m is pivoted at the bottom end. Calculate the most probable point of rupture on the pole as the pole falls.
STEP BY STEP PLEASE I am trying to understand this.
Assumptions are:
1) The pole is uniform density which means it's centre of gravity
is exactly at 15 m
2) The pole is uniform material properties (ie. no defects in
atomic structure)
3) Only gravity forces at work - no other external forces on the
pole (including at the pivot)
Problem Set Up
1) the Pole is initially vertical, pivoted at the bottom end
2) as the Pole falls to a horizontal position, you want to find the
most probable point of rupture.
Now this is why I think point of rupture may occur at 15m
1) prior to impact to the horizontal ground, you have a beam which
has equal force distribution (due to gravity). It will look
something like this reference except no reactions from the pivot
points due to assumptions stated above
(http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:B...
2) If you plot the shear diagram of this equally distributed load,
the point of maximum shear occurs at 15 m. And hence at 15 m, the
pole will have maximum shear force per meter. Hence, greatest
probability of rupture will occur at this point since it has
maximum shear force.
3) As the pole strikes the ground (exactly horizontal), the normal
force of the ground will equal exactly the distributed force of
gravity. Also, the Impulse will equal exactly the distributed force
(except in opposite direction). Again, the maximum shear will be at
15 m.
This is my best estimate of the highest probability of rupture