If there is a diving board, how would you half the deflection?

Hint: Classic Beam Deflection Question

Deflection is a function of the applied load, the cantilever distance, the modulus of elasticity and the moment of inertia. The first two are directly proportional, the latter two are inversely proportional to deflection. It would come down to manipulation of these parameters to meet your goal.

General Form:

Deflection = \frac{PL}{EI}

  1. Load: How much force is applied? This can be in the form of multiple, point, or distributed loads ( P )
  2. Length: Length of the beam (L)
  3. Material: Represents the modulus of elasticity (E)
  4. Cross-Sectional Shape: Represents the moment of inertia (I)

Practically speaking, you could either reduce the length of the board by a factor of 0.5, or find a diving board material that’s twice as stiff.

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