Question

When drawing the shear force and bending moment diagrams, you must consider a new segment:

a) At points of zero force
b) Where the moment is constant
c) At points of applied loads
d) Where the shear force is zero

Answer 1

When drawing shear force and bending moment diagrams, new segments are considered at points of applied loads due to the introduction of a change in the shear force, potentially affecting the bending moments.

Step-by-step explanation:

When drawing the shear force and bending moment diagrams, it is important to consider a new segment at points of applied loads. This is because the load introduces a sudden change in the shear force, which can also affect the bending moment at that point. The task of constructing these diagrams often includes the use of a free body diagram, which assists in determining the reactions at supports and the values of shear force and bending moments at various points along a beam. When dividing the beam into segments, each point where there is an applied load, a moment, or where the nature of distributed load changes, needs to be considered individually. Moreover, identifying points where the shear force is zero is important for finding the maximum bending moments. This approach is crucial for engineers and physicists involved in the analysis of structures to ensure safety and structural integrity.