An Extended Virtual Simulation Study on Bending Normal Stress of Composite Beams in Mechanics of Materials

Bending deformation is an important chapter in Mechanics of Materials and is also a concept that students commonly find challenging. In order to deepen students’ understanding and mastery of concepts such as the neutral layer, Hooke’s law, stress distribution, an extended teaching module on bending normal stress in Mechanics of Materials is presented. Building upon the instruction of single-beam bending, this module expands to include the analysis of bending normal stress in both superimposed and bonded beams, complemented by corresponding normal stress tests. To help visualize physical concepts—such as stress distribution and the neutral layer—which are difficult to demonstrate intuitively in traditional teaching, a virtual simulation extension is implemented based on the theoretical and experimental foundations. This involves using finite element software to carry out simulation calculations for the above two types of beam structures. Through the systematic approach integrating theory, experiment, and simulation, students can achieve a more profound and intuitive understanding of key concepts, including bending stress, the neutral layer, and Hooke’s law.