Sources
Help build the largest human-edited directory on the web.
Submit a site - Become an editor
Wikipedia. Licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License.
Are you an expert in this subject? Join the discussion and share your knowledge at Wikipedia.org.
Deformable body
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
 |
This article or section is in need of attention from an expert on the subject. Please help recruit one or improve this article yourself. See the talk page for details. Please consider using {{Expert-subject}} to associate this request with a WikiProject |
A deformable body is a body that deforms, meaning it changes its shape or volume while being acted upon by an external force. The relative position of any points on a deformable body can change. They are the opposite of rigid bodies and are defined by their elements. The deformable body's ideal representation is an infinite collection of particles that makeup the body's boundary. In physics, deformable bodies are much harder to work with and simulate than rigid bodies. Their equations of motion are more complex because additional coordinate systems are required to account for the body's deformation. The theory of small displacements is often used by engineers and physisists to solve solid mechanics problems involving deformations. This allows for simplifications to the problem to be made, allowing it to be solved much more easily. These approximations allow the solution to very closely resemble reality as long as the deformations remain small. If large displacements are to be considered a finite element analysis may need to be undertaken by an engineer.