A force 'F' of same magnitude is applied tangentially on upper and lower face of a cube, in opposite…

A force 'F' of same magnitude is applied tangentially on upper and lower face of a cube, in opposite directions. Side of the cube is 'L'. The upper face of the cube shifts parallel to itself by a distance ' $x_{1}$ '. If another cube of same material but side '2L' is subjected to the above condition, then the displacement of the top layer is
  1. $\frac{x_{1}}{6}$
  2. $\frac{x_{1}}{2}$
  3. $\frac{x_{1}}{8}$
  4. $\frac{x_{1}}{4}$

Solution

When the force $F$ is applied tangentially on the upper and lower faces of a cube, the displacement $x$ of the upper face depends on the side length $L$ of the cube. For the first cube with side $L$, the displacement is $x_1$. For the second cube with side $2 L$, shear strain remains constant because the material and force are the same. Using the relation for shear strain: $\frac{x_1}{L}=\frac{x_2}{2 L}$ From this: $x_2=\frac{x_1}{2}$ Thus, the displacement of the top layer of the second cube is $\frac{x_1}{2}$.

Asked in: MHT CET 2020 (19 Oct Shift 1)

Practice more Mechanical Properties of Solids questions on Aicharya