LessonGrades 6 - 8
Investigating Torque
Twisted and buckled steel beam fragments from the World Trade Center wreckage.Copyright Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/loc/lcib/0209/debris.html
Students learn about torsion as a force acting upon structures and have the opportunity to design something to withstand this force.
Understanding how torsion affects objects helps engineers design products and structures (from bicycles to bridges) that are safe and sound. For civil and mechanical engineers, evaluation of the effect of torsional forces on objects, such as supporting beams in buildings or machine parts, is critical to making sure that structures and machines do not fail.
- Students learn the concept of a moment (torque) of a force and learn how to calculate moments.
- Students learn how moments ("turning forces") create bending and torsion loads on structures.
- Students understand the effects of bending and torsion loads.
- Students gain an appreciation of how engineers can design a structure to resist bending and torsion.