Prismatic Aluminium bar vs Prismatic Steel bar deformation comparison in Axial, Bending and Tortion.

Question

Accepted Answer

Aluminium bar has higher deformation in axial and bending, while steel bar has higher deformation in torsion.

Aluminium has lower Young's modulus than steel, making it more deformable in axial and bending loads.
Steel has higher shear modulus than aluminium, making it more resistant to torsion.
The difference in deformation between the two materials can be quantified using finite element analysis.
For example, a prismatic aluminium bar may deform 2mm under a 1000N axial load, while a prismatic steel bar may only deform 1mm under the same load.
Similarly, a prismatic aluminium bar may deform 3mm under a 100Nm bending moment, while a prismatic steel bar may only deform 1.5mm under the same moment.
However, a prismatic steel bar may deform 1.5 degrees under a 100Nm torsional moment, while a prismatic aluminium bar may deform 3 degrees under the same moment.

Top Speed Engineering Solutions CAE Project Engineer interview questions & answers