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Measurement & regression

Static torsion

Hang weights on a disc, read the twist angle and build the table — the whole measurement in a simulator.

Example: Steel wire, 10 load steps of 20 g → table of angles and a graph; you finish G in Linear regression.

Hang equal weights on both pans, read the twist angle of the disc and build the table of angle against load. The simulator shows the whole measurement (loading and unloading); you work out the shear modulus G in the calculators below.

Apparatusnot to scale
Twist angle against loadfilled loading, open unloading
Residualsmean φ minus the fitted line, in degrees
Presets
Standard valuesshear modulus G
Wire materialG / GPaG / 1010 Pa
Steel (carbon, structural)77 – 797.7 – 7.9
Stainless steel787.8
Cast iron414.1
Copper454.5
Bronze454.5
Brass36 – 403.6 – 4.0
Aluminium (alloys)25.5 – 272.6 – 2.7
Titanium414.1
Lead131.3

Typical shear modulus values at room temperature. The real value depends on the alloy and its heat treatment, so check the datasheet of your own wire. 1 × 1010 Pa = 10 GPa. Sources: Wikipedia (Shear modulus), Engineers Edge (Modulus of rigidity).

Key equations
(130)
φ*=MkG,M=FgD=mgD
φ* in radians
(131)
k=πd432L
(133)
G=5760°LDπ2d4a,a=φFg
φ in degrees
(134)
φ=aFg+φ0
find a by least squares (Linear regression calculator)
Parameters
SymbolMeaningUnit
Gshear modulusPa
Lwire lengthm
Ddiameter of the rotating disc (force arm)m
dwire diameterm
madded mass on each pankg
Fgload force (= mg)N
φmean twist angle°
φ0initial twist angle°
aslope of φ versus Fg°·N-1
Error calculationformulas without values
G=5760LDπ2d4a
ϑ(G)=(∂G∂Lϑ(L))2+(∂G∂Dϑ(D))2+(∂G∂dϑ(d))2
Partial derivatives
∂G∂L=5760Dπ2d4a
∂G∂D=5760Lπ2d4a
∂G∂d=5760LDπ2ad−5(−4)=−23040LDπ2d5a