TORSIONAL STRESS AND DEFORMATION

Torsional Stress and Deformations

Shear stress is produced about a longitudinal axis of a structural member by
the application of twisting couple to the end of the structural member is known as

torsional stress. Torsion is the twisting of a straight bar when it is loaded by twisting
couple or torque. It tends to produce rotation about the longitudinal axes of the bar.
For instant, when we turn a screw driver to produce torsion our hand applies
torque “T” to the handle and twist the shank of the screw driver.

Twisting Couple (Torque)

The twisting of a structural member about its longitudinal axis by two equals
and opposite torques is expressed through a certain angle is called twisting couple.
The stress is produced in this process is not tensile or compressive, it is said to be

shearing or shear stress. The strain is measured by an angle in unit of radians.

The simple example is that of using a wrench to tighten a nut on a bolt as shown
in given figure. If the bolt, wrench, and force are all perpendicular to one another.

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 TWISTING COUPLE ON A WIRE
If we have a wire or cylinder, clamped at one end, and twisted at the other
through an angle 𝜃, about its axis, it is said to be under tension, due to the elasticity of
the material of the wire or the cylinder, a restoring couple is set up in it, equal and
opposite to the twisting couple.
Consider a cylindrical wire of length l and radius a. The cylindrical wire is
clamped to a fixed support. This wire is made up of a number of cylindrical tubes (co-
axial) whose radii vary from zero to „r‟. Let us consider one such cylinder, as shown in
fig (b) with radius „x‟ and thickness „dx‟.
Let AB be a line on the elementary tube which is parallel to the axis of the tube.
Consider a couple applied at the bottom end of the wire, which results in twisting of the
wire through an angle 𝜃. In the twisted state, the position of AB will be taken as AB‟ as
shown in fig 1.6.1

Fig (a) Fig (b)

Fig 1.6.1Twisting couple on a wire.

From fig (a)

The angle ABB'   

BB'  l ……………. (1)

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 The displacement decreases, as the move from the rim of the cylinder to the
Centre. At the Centre, it will become zero. This means that shearing strain is maximum
at the rim and minimum at the Centre.
Consider a hollow cylinder along the plane AB and flattened out. Therefore, we
get a rectangle OABO‟ before twisting and OABB‟ after twisting. The angle through
which this the hollow cylinder is sheared.
From the cross sectional view of the cylinder
BB'  x …………………. (2)
From equations (1) and (2), we get,
l  x

x..................................................................
Shearing strain  = (3)
l
We know that,
shearing stress
Rigidity modulus (n) =
shearing strain

Shearing stress = n  Shearing strain

x
n ……………… (4)
l
Let the area of the elementary tube = 2 xdx
The shearing force on this area = Shearing stress  Area

x
n  2 x dx
l
2 n  x2dx
 ……………… (5)
l

2 n x2 dx
The moment of force about the axis of the wire  x
l

2 n x3dx
 ……….. (6)
l
The twisting couple applied to the whole wire can be obtained by integrating equation 6
between the limit x  0 and x  r
r
2 n x 3 dx
 
0 l

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 2 n r

=  x 3 dx
l 0

r
2 n  x 4
=
l 4 0

………….. (7)
C=

If 𝜃=1 radian
The twisting couples per unit angular twist of the wire

C=

TORSIONAL PENDULUM
When a body is fixed at one end and twisted about its axis by means of a
torque at the other end, then the body is said to be under torsion. The torsion involves
shearing strain and hence modulus involved is the rigidity modulus.
Torsional pendulum consists of a suspension wire with one end is fixed
and the other end is fixed to the center of the circular disc. Let l be the length of the
suspension wire and r be the radius of the suspension wire. When a heavy circular disc
is rotated in a horizontal plane, so that the wire is twisted through an angle 𝜃. The
various elements of the wire will undergo shearing strain and restoring couple is
produced. Now if the disc is released, the disc will produce torsional oscillations. The
couple acting on the disc produces an angular acceleration in it, which is proportional to
the angular displacement and is always directed towards its mean position.
Total energy of the torsion pendulum = P.E +K.E
The potential energy confined to the wire is equal to the work done in twisting the disc,
thereby creating a restoring couple (C).


The restoring couple through an angle 𝜃 =  moment of couple d𝜃

0

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  C 2
 d = ……………. (8)
=C 2
0

Let  be the angular velocity with which the disc oscillates, due to the restoring couple,
then
I 2 ................................................
The kinetic energy of the rotating disc (deflecting couple) = (9)
2
I be the moment of inertia of the circular disc
C 2 I 2
Total energy = + = constant ............................................ (10)
2 2
Differentiating equation (4) with respect to „t‟ we get,
d d
C  I 0 …………. (11)
dt dt
d
Since the angular velocity   and the angular acceleration d  d 2

2
dt dt dt

Equation (11) becomes 

d I d d   0
2
C 
dt dt dt2
d  d 2  0
  
  dt 2 
C I
dt 


d  d 2  
Here 0 C  I 2   0
dt  dt 

d 2 C
 Angular acceleration=  …………. (12)
2
dt I
The negative sign indicates that the couple tends to decrease the twist on the wire.

TIME PERIOD OF TORSIONAL OSCILLATION

angular displacement
The time period of torsional oscillation T= 2
angular acceleration

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  I
T  2  2 ….……. (13)
C C
I

Frequency of oscillation
………. (14)

RIGIDITY MODULUS OF THE WIRE

Let l be the length of the suspension wire and r be the radius of the suspension wire. We
know
1 n r 4
The twisting couple per unit angular twist of the wire C = ………… (15)
2 l
Substituting equation (9) in equation (7) we get
I 2Il
T  2  2
 n r 4 n r 4
 2l
2Il 8 I l
T 2  4 2 
n r 4 nr 4

……….. (16)
Rigidity modulus of the wire

Thus torsional pendulum is used to find the rigidity modulus of the various materials.
Experimental verification of torsional pendulum

A torsion pendulum is constructed as shown in Figure.

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 Fig.1.6.1.2 Torsion pendulum
Measure carefully the length of the suspension wire between the two chucks.
Standing in front of the pendulum, gently set it in torsional oscillation without any
lateral movement.
Note the time for 10 oscillations. T0, the period of oscillation of the pendulum without
any masses in it calculated. Take two readings. Find the mean.
Two equal symmetrical masses (m) are placed on the disc on either side, close
to the suspension wire. The closest distance 'd1' from the center of the symmetrical
mass and the center of the suspension wire is found. Set the pendulum to oscillate
and note the time for 10 oscillations. From that the period of oscillation T1is
calculated. Take two readings find the mean.
Two equal masses are now moved to the extreme ends so that the edges of
masses coincide with the edge of the disc and the centers are equaled distant. The
distance „d2‟ from the center of the symmetrical mass and the center of the
suspension wire is noted. Set the pendulum to oscillate and note the time for 10
oscillations. Take two readings. Calculate the mean period of oscillation T2. All the
measured parameters are tabulated in the given table,

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 Measure carefully, the diameter (2r) of the wire at various places, with a
screw gauge. Find the mean of the diameter and calculate the radius. Note the mass
(m) of the one symmetrical mass. The moment of inertia of the disc and rigidity
modulus of the wire is calculated using the formula

8𝜋𝐼𝑙
n =𝑇2 𝑟4

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