A Modified torsion pendulum for measuring the shear modulus of a single micro-sized filament

A modified torsion pendulum apparatus is developed for measuring the shear modulus of single filaments with uniform micro-sized diameter. A single filament fixed at both ends and with a ring-shaped mass attached at the middle is used as a clamped-clamped torsion pendulum. The shear modulus of single filaments can be expressed as a function of the oscillation frequency of the torsion pendulum. The oscillation motion is measured with a CCD laser displacement sensor, and its frequency is determined by the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) method. The shear moduli of three types of filaments: copper wires, tungsten wires and carbon fibers are accurately measured with this technique. It is found that the size effect in shear moduli of both copper wires and tungsten wires is minor. Finally, the error analysis of our measurement technique is presented in detail.