Elasticity

1. Two rods of equal cross-sections, one of copper and the other of steel are joined to form a composite rod of
length 2.0 m at 20ºC, the length of the copper rod is 0.5. When the temperature is raised to 120ºC, the length of
the composite rod increases to 2.002m. If the composite rod is fixed between two rigid walls and thus not
allowed to expand, it is found that the length of the component rods also do not change with increase in
temperature. Calculate the Young’s modulus of steel. Given Young’s modulus of copper = 1.3 × 1011 N/m2,
the coefficient of linear expansion of copper c = 1.6 10−5 /º C.
(a) 2 x 1010 Pa
(b) 1.6 x 1010 Pa
(c) 1.3 x 1010 Pa
(d) 0.9 x 1010 Pa

2. A steel rod of cross-sectional area 1m2 is acted upon by forces shown in figure. Determine the elongation of
the length BC of the bar. Take y = 2.0 1011 N / m2 .

(a) 13 10−7 m
(b) 4.5 10−7 m
(c) 5 10−7 m
(d) 3.5 10−7 m

3. A 30. Kg hammer, moving with speed 20.0 m/s, strikes a steel spike 2.30 cm in diameter. The hammer
rebounds with speed 10.0 m/s after 0.110s. What is the average stress in the spike during the impact?
(a) 1.97 107 N / m2
(b) 3.2 107 N / m2
(c) 4.6 107 N / m2
(d) 8.2 107 N / m2

4. When a weight W is hung from one end of a wire of length L (other end being fixed), the length of the wire
increases by l. If the same wire is passed over a pulley and two weights W each are hung at the two ends, what
will be the total elongation in the wire?
(a) l
(b) 2l
(c) 3l
(d) l/2

5. The elastic limit of an elevator cable is 2 x 109 N/m2. The maximum upward acceleration that an elevator of
Mass 2 x 103 kg can have when supported by a cable whose cross-sectional area is 10-4 m2, provided the stress
in cable would not exceed half of the elastic limit would be
(a) 10 m/s2
(b) 50 m/s2
(c) 40 m/s2
(d) Not possible to move up

6. The adjacent graph shows the extension (l) of a wire of length 1m suspended from the top of a roof at one
end and with a load W connected to the other end. If the cross-sectional area of the wire is 10-6 m2, Calculate
the Young’s modulus of the material of the wire.

(a) 2 x 1011 N/m2

(b) 2 x 10-11 N/m2
(c) 3 x 10-12 N/m2
(d) 2 x 10-13 N/m2

7. Two rods of different materials having coefficient of thermal expansion  1,2 and Young’s moduli Y1, Y2
respectively are fixed between two rigid massive walls. The rods are heated such that they undergo the same
increase in temperature. There is no bending of the rods. If  1,2 = 2 : 3, the thermal stresses developed in the
two rods are equal provided Y1 : Y2 is equal to:
(a) 2 : 3
(b) 1 : 1
(c) 3 : 2
(d) 4 : 9

8. The following four wires are made of the same material. Which of these will have the largest extension when
the same force is applied ?
(a) Length = 50cm, diameter = 0.5mm
(b) Length = 100cm, diameter = 1mm
(c) Length = 200cm, diameter = 2mm
(d) Length = 300cm, diameter = 3mm

9. A uniform rope is rotated about an axis perpendicular to length and passing through one of its end. The ratio
of stresses at end near the axis of rotation and middle point is (neglect gravity)
(a) 2:1
(b) 3:2
(c) 4:3
(d) 5:4

10. A body is rotated in a circular path by means of a wire, which fails at angular velocity 0. If the wire is cut
into two equal pieces and the same body is rotated by means of the two pieces together, then the failure takes
place at angular velocity . The ratio / 0 is (neglect gravity)
(a) 1
(b) 2
(c) 2
(d) 22

11. A 2m long light metal rod AB is suspended from the ceiling horizontally by means of two vertical wires of
equal length tied to its ends. One wire is of brass and has cross section of 2 x 10-4 m2 and the other is of steel
with 0.1 x 10-4 m2 cross section. In order to have equal stress in the two wires, a weight is hang from the rod.
The position of the weight along the rod from end A should be.

(a) 66.6 cm
(b) 133 cm
(c) 44.4 cm
(d) 155.6 cm

12. External forces acting on a rod of length L, cross - sectional area A and Young’s modulus Y are as shown in
the figure. Choose the correct alternative.

(a) there will be no change in length of rod.

2FL
(b) the net change in length of rod is
AY
FL
(c) the net change in length of rod is
2 AY
FL
(d) the net change in length of rod is
AY

13. A uniform metal wire of cross sectional radius r and Young’s modulus Y is in the form of a ring of radius R
and it is rotated about a vertical axis through its center at an angular speed of . The change in radius (R) of
the ring due to rotation would be?
M  2 R2
(a) 2 2
 rY
 M  2 R2
(b)
2 2r 2Y
M  2r 2
(c) 2 2
 rY
M  2r 2
(d)
2 2 r 2Y

14. The change in volume of a cylinder of length 65cm when subjected to a compressive force of 1000N over
the end face would be? The Young’s modulus and Poission’s ratio of the material of the cylinder are 130x109Pa
and 0.34 respectively.
(a) 1.0mm3
(b) 1.6mm3
(c) 2.5mm3
(d) 3.2mm3

15. A uniform elastic rod of cross section are A, natural length L and Youngs modulus Y is placed on a smooth
horizontal surface. Now two horizontal forces (of magnitude F and 3F) directed along the length of rod and in
opposite direction act at two of its ends as shown. After the rod has acquired steady state, the extension of the
rod will be

Elastic rod
F 3F

2F
(a) L
YA
4F
(b) L
YA
F
(c) L
YA
3F
(d) L
2YA

16. A composite wire (uniform cross section of 5.5 x 10-5 m2) is made of a steel wire of length 1.5 m and a
copper wire of length 2.0 m. The extension produced in this composite wire, when it is loaded with a mass of
200 kg is (YSteel = 2 x 1011 N/m2, YCopper = 1 x 1011 N/m2, g = 10 m/s2) (Weight of the composite wire is
negligible)
(a) 0.5 mm
(b) 1mm
(c) 2 mm
(d) 4 mm

17. The work done in stretching a wire by 0.1 mm is 4 J. The work done in stretching another wire of same
material, but with double the radius and half the length by 0.1mm is
(a) 16 J
(b) 32 J
(c) 64 J
(d) None
18. The load versus elongation graphs for four wires A, B, C and D of the same material of same length are
shown in the figure. The thinnest wire is represented by the line:

(a) OD
(b) OC
(c) OB
(d) OA

19. A small cube of liquid of surface area A is taken at a depth of ‘h’ from the surface of liquid. If its density of
 bulk modulus is B, the elastic energy density inside the cube is proportional to:”
(a) h2
(b) A
(c) 1/B
(d) 

20. A rod is made of uniform material and has a non-uniform cross section. It is fixed at both the ends as shown
and heated at mid-section. Which of the following statements are not correct?

(a) Force of compression in the rod will be maximum at mid-section.

(b) Compressive stress in the rod will be maximum at left end.
(c) Since rod in fixed at both the ends, its length will remain unchanged. Hence, no strain will be induced in it.
(d) Force of compression is the same throughout the rod.

21. The figure shows the stress-strain graphs for materials A and B. From the graph it follows that

(a) material A has a higher Young’s modulus

(b) material B is more ductile
(c) material A can withstand greater stress
(d) material B can withstand greater stress
22. Which of the following are correct?
(a) For a small deformation of a material, the ratio (stress/strain) decreases.
(b) For a large deformation of a material, the ratio (stress/strain) decreases.
(c) Two wires made of different materials, having the same diameter and length are connected end to end. A
force is applied. This stretches their combined length by 2mm. Now they have same strength but different stress
(d) none

23. Choose the correct statements from the following.

(a) Steel is more elastic than rubber.
(b) The stretching of a coil spring is determined by the Young’s modulus of the wire of the spring.
(c) The frequency of a tuning fork is determined by the shear modulus of the material of the fork.
(d) When a material is subjected to a tensile (stretching) stress the restoring forces are caused by inter atomic
attraction.

24. When a body of mass M is attached to lower end of wire (of length L) whose upper end is fixed, then the
elongation of the wire is l. In this situation, mark out the correct statement(s)
(a) Loss in gravitational potential energy of M is Mgl.
(b) Elastic potential energy stored in the wire is Mgl/2.
(c) Elastic potential energy stored in the wire is Mgl.
(d) Elastic potential energy stored in the wire is Mgl/3.

25. An elastic rod of length l, Young’s modulus Y and area of cross section A is rotating with angular velocity
 about its centre on a smooth surface. (m = mass of rod)
3 m2l
(a) The stress at a distance l/4 from the centre of rod is
32 A
m l
2 2
(b) The elongation in the rod is
12AY
m 24l2
(c) The elastic energy stored in the rod
488A 2Y
m24l2
(d) The elastic energy stored in the rod .
A2Y

Comprehension- (Q26 – Q27)

Two rods of different materials, having the same area of cross-section A, are placed end to end between two
massive walls as shown in fig. The first rod has a length L1 coefficient of linear expansion 1 and Young’s
modulus Y1. The corresponding quantities for second rod are L2,  2 and Y2. The temperature of both the rods
is now raised by T degrees.

26. Find the force with which the rods act on each other at the higher temperature in terms of the given
quantities
 A (L11 + L 2 2 ) T
(a) F =
 L1 L 2 
Y + Y 
 1 2
(b) F = A (Y11 + Y22 ) T
A (Y11 + Y2 2 ) T
(c) F =
2
L L 
A 1 + 2 T
(d) F =  1
Y Y2 
L11 + L2 2

27. Find the length of the rods at the higher temperature, F is the compressive force from the walls.
 F 
L11 = L1 1 + 1T − 
 AY1 
(a)
 F 
L12 = L 2 1 +  2T − 
 AY2 
 F 
L11 = L1 1 − 1T + 
 AY1 
(b)
 F 
L12 = L1 1 −  2T + 
 AY2 
 F 
L11 = L1 1 + 1T + 
 AY1 
(c)
 F 
L12 = L1 1 +  2T + 
 AY2 
 F 
L11 = L1 1 − 1T − 
 AY1 
(d)
 F 
L12 = L1 1 − 1T − 
 AY2 

28. A reinforced-concrete column is subjected to compression by a certain load. Assume that modulus of
elasticity of concrete is one-tenth of that of iron and the cross-sectional area of the iron is one-twentieth of that
F
of concrete. If C = n . Where FC is the part of the load acting on concrete and FI is the part of the load acting
FI
on iron, then find the value of ‘n’

29. Human bones remain elastic if strain is less than 0.5%. However, the young’s modulus for compression (Yc)
and stretch (Ys) are different. The typical values are Yc = 9.4 × 109 Pa and Ys = 16 × 109 Pa. The shear
modulus of elasticity for the bone is  = 1010 Pa
Answer following questions with regard to a leg bone of length 20 cm and cross sectional area 3 cm2
(a) Calculate the maximum stretching force that the bone can sustain and still remain elastic.
(b) A man of mass 60 kg jumps from a height of 10 m on a concrete floor. Half his momentum is absorbed by
the impact of the floor on the particular bone we are talking about. The impact lasts for 0.02 s. Will the
compressive stress exceed the elastic limit?
(c) How much shearing force will be needed to break the bone if breaking strain is 5°.

30. The elastic limit and ultimate strength for steel is 2.48 × 108 Pa and 4.89 × 108 Pa respectively. A steel wire
of 10 m length and 2 mm cross sectional diameter is subjected to longitudinal tensile stress. Young’s modulus
of steel is Y = 2 × 1011 Pa
(a) Calculate the maximum elongation that can be produced in the wire without permanently deforming it. How
much force is needed to produce this extension?
(b) Calculate the maximum stretching force that can be applied without breaking the wire.

31. A water tank is supported by four pillars. The pillars are strong enough to sustain ten times the stress
developed in them when the tank is completely full. An engineer decides to increase the every dimension of the
tank and the pillars by hundred times so as to store more water. Do you think he has taken a right decision?
Assume that material used in construction of the tank and pillars remain same.

32. Two bars A and B are stuck using an adhesive. The contact surface of the bars make an angle  with the
length. Area of cross section of each bar is S0. It is known that the adhesive yields if normal stress at the contact
surface exceeds s0. Find the maximum pulling force F that can be applied without detaching the bars.

33. A very stiff bar (AB) of negligible mass is suspended horizontally by two vertical rods as shown in figure.
Length of the bar is 2.5 L. The steel rod has length L and cross sectional radius of r and the brass rod has length
2L and cross sectional radius of 2r. A vertically downward force F is applied to the bar at a distance x from the
steel rod and the bar remains horizontal. Find the value of x if it is given that ratio of Young’s modulus of steel
and brass is YS/YB = 2.

34. A closed steel cylinder is completely filled with water at 0°C. The water is made to freeze at 0°C. Calculate
the rise in pressure on the cylinder wall. It is known that density of water at 0°C is 1000 kg/m3 and the density
of ice at 0°C is 910 kg/m3. Bulk modulus of ice at 0°C is nearly 9 × 109 Pa. [Compare this pressure to the
atmospheric pressure. Now you can easily understand why water pipelines burst in cold regions as the winter
sets in.]
35. (i) Two identical rods, one of steel, the other of copper, are stretched by an identical amount. On which
operation more work is expended?
(ii) Two identical rods, one of steel, the other of copper, are stretched with equal force. On which operation is
more work needed?

36. A rectangular bar is fixed to a hard floor. Height of the bar is h and its area in contact with the floor is A. A
 2 
shearing force distorts the bar as shown. Prove that the work done by the shearing force is W =    volume
 2 
of the bar. Here s is shear modulus of elasticity. Assume the deformation to be small.

37. A thin uniform rod of mass M and length L is free to rotate in vertical plane about a horizontal axis passing
through one of its ends. The rod is released from horizontal position shown in the figure. Calculate the shear
stress developed at the centre of the rod immediately after it is released. Cross sectional area of the rod is A.
[For calculation of moment of inertia you can treat it to very thin]

38.A rigid cylindrical container has inner radius r. A cork having radius r + Dr and length L is to be fitted so as
to close the container. Uniform pressure (DP) is needed on the curved cylindrical surface of the cork. Poisson’s
ratio of a cork is almost zero, and its bulk modulus is B.

(a) Calculate P
(b) After the cork is fitted how much force will be needed to pull it out of the container? Coefficient of friction
between the container and the cork is m.

39. Assume that the least load which would break a thread when simply suspended from it is M and that this
load produces a strain of 1 percent at the moment of breaking. Also assume that Hooke's law applies to the
thread right up to breaking point. A load of mass m is suspended from a thread of length . It is raised to a
height and released. Find the least height to which the load must be raised so that it will break the thread when
allowed to fall.

40. Atmospheric pressure is P0 and density of water at the sea level is 0. If the bulk modulus of water is B,
calculate the pressure deep inside the sea at a depth h below the surface.

41. A metal cylinder of length L and radius R is fixed rigidly to ground with its axis vertical. A twisting torque
0 is applied along the circumference at the top of the cylinder. This causes an angular twist of 0 (rad) in the
top surface. Calculate the shear modulus of elasticity () of the material of the cylinder.
 Answer Key
1. (a)

2. (a)

3. (a)

4. (a)

5. (c)

6. (a)

7. (c)

8. (a)

9. (c)

10. (c)

11. (a)

12. (c)

13. (b)

14. (b)

15. (a)
16. (b)

17. (b)

18. (a)

19. (a,c)
20. (a,c)

21. (a,c)

22. (a,b)

23. (a,d)

24. (a,b)

25. (a,b,c)

26. (a)

27. (a)

28. 2

29. (a) 2.4 × 104 N (b) Yes (c) 2.6 × 105 N

30. (a) 1.24 cm, 779 N (b) 1535 N

31. No

0S0
32.
sin 2 

33. x = 1.25 L

34. 8.1 × 108 Pa

35. (i) Stretching of steel (ii) Stretching of Copper

Mg
37.
16A

2Br
38. (a) P = (b) F = 4Lr
r

0.01M
39. h=
2m

  gh 
40. P = P0 − Bln 1 − 0 
 B 

2 0
41.
R 4 0