Which metal would flex more?

[Desertboy]

If you want to work it out by hand it is not too tricky for a simple shape like that.

1. The geometry of the part (how the material is arranged, into what shape). This is the cross section property and is called the second moment of area:
Ixx = (bd^3)/12
where:
b is the width
d is the depth
For aluminium part this is (100x25^3)/12 = 130208 mm^4
For the steel part this is (100x10^10)/12 = 8333 mm^4

2. The end condition of the beam (how it is restrained at the ends)
Ec = 192 for fully welded
Ec = 48 for simply supported (e.g. pin joint)

3. The material properties for the material being analysed (Young' modulus)
For aluminium Ym = 69000 N/mm2
For steel Ym = 200000 N/mm2

4. The force being applied in the middle of the beam
For the example given this is 200 N

5. The calculation:

Deflection = (force (N) x length^3) / (Ec x Ym x Ixx)

For welded supported ends this is:
Deflection (Aluminium) = (200 x 500^3) / (192 x 69000 x 130208) = 0.01449 mm
Deflection (Steel) = (200 x 500 ^3) / (192 x 200000 x 8333) = 0.07813 mm

These are pretty close to the Fusion FEA results from Zeeflyboy (for fully supported end conditions):
25mm Alu deflection = 0.01471 mm
10mm Steel deflection = 0.06861 mm

If the ends are simply supported pin joints it makes a big difference:
Deflection (Aluminium) = (200 x 500^3) / (48 x 69000 x 130208) =0.0579 mm
Deflection (Steel) = (200 x 500 ^3) / (48 x 200000 x 8333) = 0.312 mm

So there you have it !

Nice one! I always want work it out by hand if I can! I normally do my trig on paper then check it in cad so I already know what numbers I should be getting back.