Boomilever Fundamentals
What is boomilever
A boomilever is model cantilever that is designed to hold 15kg. Many science and engineering competitions, such as Science Olympiad, host boomilever competitions to help teach basic physic concepts to students.
In this post, we will outline the basic concepts needed to consider when creating a boomilever and how to optimize those aspects of your device for the best results.
factors to consider
Compressive strength
Compressive strength is the stress that a material can withstand while being pressed. To maximize the efficiency of your boomilever, it is important to use members with high compressive strength to build your boomilever.
Typically, thick balsa strips are an effective solution for strong compressionmembers.
tensile strength
Tensile strength is the stress that a material can withstand while being stretched. To maximize the efficiency of your boomilever, it is important to use members with high tensile strength to build your boomilever.
Typically, thin balsa or bass strips are an effective solution for strong tension members.
bracing
To maximize the compressive strength of your boomilever, it is essential to utilize efficient bracing. By increasing the amount of bracing on your boomilever, the base is divided into multiple sections, increasing the buckling strength of the base members, in turn, increasing the compressive strength of the boomilever
weight
Managing weight is important because a boomilever’s efficiency is calculated by the following equation:
Efficiency = Mass Held / Mass of Boomilever
Therefore, it is in your best interest to create the lightest boomilever possible with the least sacrifices in mass held.