ME 3263 Introduction to Sensors and Data Analysis (Fall 2018)
Lab #2 - Static beam deflections with strain gage
What is a Strain Gage?
A strain gage consists of a looped wire that is embedded in a thin backing. Two
copper coated tabs serve as solder points for the leads. See Figure 1a. The
strain gage is mounted to the structure, whose deformation is to be measured. As
the structure deforms, the wire stretches (increasing its net length ) and its
electrical resistance changes:
Figure 1: a) A typical strain gage. b) One common setup: the gage is mounted to measure the x-direction strain on the top surface. It's engaged in a quarter bridge configuration of the Wheatstone bridge circuit.