A student investigates how different materials affect the bending (deflection) of a beam at its center when supported at both ends and loaded at the midpoint.

Plan an experiment to investigate how the material of the beam affects the deflection at its center when loaded at its midpoint.

The following apparatus is available to the student:

• beams made of wood, plastic, copper, and aluminium, each of length 1.0 m
• two support blocks (to support the ends of each beam)
• a set of slotted masses with a hanger
• a metre rule
• a pointer or pin (to help measure the deflection)

Other apparatus normally available in a school laboratory can also be used.

In your plan, you should:

• draw a diagram to show the arrangement of the apparatus
• explain briefly how you would carry out the investigation, including the measurements you would take
• state the key variables to be kept constant
• draw a suitable table, with column headings, to show how you would display your readings (you are not required to enter any readings in the table)
• explain how you would use the results to reach a conclusion.