According to Torq Lite (http://www.torqlite.com/), even without having been a student with a science major, homeowners can often make practical use of some of the basic principles of engineering around the home, such as when repairs are needed or when undertaking some simple home projects. Even without any extensive knowledge of engineering, some of its basic concepts can be used to one’s advantage and make things easier to accomplish. You might be surprised to learn how pervasive these concepts are in everyday life, and how the simple application of them can work for you. Here are four simple examples that most do-it-yourselfers should have no trouble with.
Tightening or Loosening Up Bolts
When loose bolts need to be tightened up, perhaps on the wheel of your car on an appliance, or even during the assembly of a purchased patio table kit, the actual tightening of the bolts can be made easier by holding the handle of the wrench at the point furthest away from the bolt, rather than at any closer point. In engineering terms, this is known as the principle of the bending moment, and it states that the distance at which a force acts has a major impact on its outcome. In this case, by holding the wrench at a point further away from the bolt, more force is exerted on the twisting motion, making the tightening process easier.
Building a Doghouse
When making a new doghouse or maybe a small playhouse for the kids, it’s a good idea to give it a roof that is either curved or slanted — anything other than a flat roof. Engineering tells us that any surface curved in two dimensions can be up to 40 times stronger than a flat surface. This would be crucial for withstanding a heavy load of snow during winter for instance, such that a curved or slanted roof could support vastly more snow than a flat roof. The principle at work in this example is that the curvature increases the distance from the central axis of the structure, imparting much greater strength to it.
Hole Repairs
When you have a hole that needs to be covered, maybe because a small window in the garage was broken, or because your shed was damaged by wind, the strongest kind of replacement you can install is a corrugated metal sheet. Corrugations give metal a much greater strength in the direction that the corrugations tend, and using a corrugated metal sheet combines the principles of the bending moment with the principle of curved surfaces. The deeper the corrugations go, the greater the strength that’s imparted to the sheet because the principle of the bending moment is greater.
Creating a Children’s Slingshot
The operative principle behind making a slingshot work is the potential elastic energy in the rubber material of the slingshot when pulled toward the operator. When tension is increased on the elastic material, the potential elastic energy increases, and that is imparted to the object propelled forward when tension is released. To have your children observe this principle in action, you need only stretch a sturdy rubber band between the two arms of a ‘Y-shaped’ branch from a tree.
It should be trimmed to remove rough surfaces and sized to fit in one hand, then notches should be cut into both arms near the topmost ends to provide a secure resting place for the stretched rubber band. After placing a safe object such as a cork in the middle of the rubber band and drawing it backward toward your body to create tension, the cork can be released along with all the tension, and the cork will be propelled in perfect accordance with the mechanical engineering laws that govern it.
This article was contributed on behalf of Torq Lite. Get your Flange Spreader from us by checking out our website today!
Leave a Reply