Industrial Technology Engineering Semester 1 Assignment: Structures
Question 1: Explain the following engineering terms:
Tension: Tension, opposite to compression, is the force that exists either within or applied by a rope,
string, chain or wire (4.5 Normal, Tension, and Other Examples of Forces, 2012). The force is
transmitted through the object when it is pulled tight by forces acting from opposite ends. The force is
directed along the length of the cable and pulls equally on the objects on the opposite ends of the wire.
Tension can be found by multiplying the mass of the object by the gravitational acceleration for
suspended objects which are in equilibrium (Kwofie & Chandler 2001) . An example of where
tension can be found is within tension ropes on a bridge. This is because the ropes are in stress by
being pulled on both ends by the load on the bridge.
Torsion: Torsion is when a rotating/twisting force, also known as torque, is applied on an object
twisting one end when the other is held in position or twisted in the other direction (Ahmed, 2011).
The motion causes strain in the centre of the object, as the force is transferred towards the centre
(Ahmed, 2011). By applying the rotational force (torque), the torsion occurs, resulting in shear stress.
Compression: Compression, opposite to tension, is when an object is applied a squish or push force.
Objects with brittle materials tend to perform well under compression loads (Curbishley 1988). The
direction of the compression force is transmitted from the outside towards the centre of the object
(Beer, Johnston and DeWolf, 1992). An example of when compression occurs is when spring is
applied a squish force resulting in the spring reducing the volume
Shear: Shear, is the force acting in a direction parallel to a surface or to a planar cross-section of a body.
, This action can be seen as slicing, similar to scissors (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica,
2020). This force can occur when a metal bar is not connected to a joint properly, causing the joint to
become loose. This will result in the bar to swing.
Bending: Bending force is the amount of energy required to arrange the item from its natural condition
or shape. A bending force is a combination of tension and compression. In addition, bending, also
known as flexure, is the process of creating curves and angles to a slender object by subjection to an
external load applied perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the element.
Question 2. What is an alloy? Give two examples of alloys and list the materials that constitute them.
An alloy is a substance that is made by melting 2 or more elements together. In order to create an alloy,
one element to must be a metal. Alloys are utilized in order to help make objects stronger and to give
them a lower chance corroding (Anonvmous 1967). An example of an alloy is steel. It consists of iron
and carbon but has a slight chance of containing molybdenum, manganese, chromium, or nickel.
Another example of an alloy is bronze, which consists of copper and tin, and sometimes has the
addition of other various metals such as aluminium, nickel, zinc or manganese (Eisenstalyt 1971).
Question 3.What is a composite material? Give two examples of composite materials used to build
structures and explain how they are made.
A composite material is a material made from two or more constituent materials with significantly
different physical or chemical properties and when combined will produce a material with
Question 1: Explain the following engineering terms:
Tension: Tension, opposite to compression, is the force that exists either within or applied by a rope,
string, chain or wire (4.5 Normal, Tension, and Other Examples of Forces, 2012). The force is
transmitted through the object when it is pulled tight by forces acting from opposite ends. The force is
directed along the length of the cable and pulls equally on the objects on the opposite ends of the wire.
Tension can be found by multiplying the mass of the object by the gravitational acceleration for
suspended objects which are in equilibrium (Kwofie & Chandler 2001) . An example of where
tension can be found is within tension ropes on a bridge. This is because the ropes are in stress by
being pulled on both ends by the load on the bridge.
Torsion: Torsion is when a rotating/twisting force, also known as torque, is applied on an object
twisting one end when the other is held in position or twisted in the other direction (Ahmed, 2011).
The motion causes strain in the centre of the object, as the force is transferred towards the centre
(Ahmed, 2011). By applying the rotational force (torque), the torsion occurs, resulting in shear stress.
Compression: Compression, opposite to tension, is when an object is applied a squish or push force.
Objects with brittle materials tend to perform well under compression loads (Curbishley 1988). The
direction of the compression force is transmitted from the outside towards the centre of the object
(Beer, Johnston and DeWolf, 1992). An example of when compression occurs is when spring is
applied a squish force resulting in the spring reducing the volume
Shear: Shear, is the force acting in a direction parallel to a surface or to a planar cross-section of a body.
, This action can be seen as slicing, similar to scissors (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica,
2020). This force can occur when a metal bar is not connected to a joint properly, causing the joint to
become loose. This will result in the bar to swing.
Bending: Bending force is the amount of energy required to arrange the item from its natural condition
or shape. A bending force is a combination of tension and compression. In addition, bending, also
known as flexure, is the process of creating curves and angles to a slender object by subjection to an
external load applied perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the element.
Question 2. What is an alloy? Give two examples of alloys and list the materials that constitute them.
An alloy is a substance that is made by melting 2 or more elements together. In order to create an alloy,
one element to must be a metal. Alloys are utilized in order to help make objects stronger and to give
them a lower chance corroding (Anonvmous 1967). An example of an alloy is steel. It consists of iron
and carbon but has a slight chance of containing molybdenum, manganese, chromium, or nickel.
Another example of an alloy is bronze, which consists of copper and tin, and sometimes has the
addition of other various metals such as aluminium, nickel, zinc or manganese (Eisenstalyt 1971).
Question 3.What is a composite material? Give two examples of composite materials used to build
structures and explain how they are made.
A composite material is a material made from two or more constituent materials with significantly
different physical or chemical properties and when combined will produce a material with
