Mechanical & Aerospace
Moment of Inertia Lab
The second moment of area is why beams are I-shaped, and it's where students fumble the parallel-axis theorem. Resize the flanges and web of an I-section and watch Iₓ, I_y, the centroid and the section modulus respond. You'll see directly that widening the flanges — putting material far from the neutral axis — buys far more stiffness than thickening the web.
3.36×10³ mm²
Area
11.64×10⁶ mm⁴
Iₓ
2.01×10⁶ mm⁴
I_y
161.60×10³ mm³
Sₓ (modulus)
Section height 144 mm. Section modulus Sₓ = Iₓ / c sets the bending stress σ = M / Sₓ — pair it with Beam Lab.
Watch how widening the flanges (mass far from the centroid) raises Iₓ far more than thickening the web — that's why beams are I-shaped.
How to use this simulation
The second moment of area is why beams are I-shaped, and it's where students fumble the parallel-axis theorem. Resize the flanges and web of an I-section and watch Iₓ, I_y, the centroid and the section modulus respond. You'll see directly that widening the flanges — putting material far from the neutral axis — buys far more stiffness than thickening the web.
Everything runs in your browser — no sign-up, no download. Change a value and the result updates instantly, so you can build a feel for how each input shapes the outcome. It pairs with Crameleon's practice exams and step sheets when you want to go from intuition to working the problems.