Elasticity

 ELASTICITY 

1.General definition :


 * a physical property of solid materials or substances or bodies to return to their own original shape and size (volume, length) when the forces causing the deformation are removed


 * a body / material / substance with this ability is said to behave or respond elastically


 * term relates to continuum mechanics

2.Description and highlights


 * To a greater or lesser size, most of solid materials exhibit elastic behavior. But there is a limit to the quantity of the force and deformation within which elastic recovery is possible


 * This limit is called elastic limit which is maximum stress or force per unit area of a solid material that can arise before permanent deformation


 * Stresses beyond the elastic limit of breakable materials cause "plastic behavior" which means that material deforms and does not return to the original shape


 * For rubber-like materials stresses beyond the eastic limit means that they become more difficult to stretch


 * The elasticity of materials is described by stress-strain curve, which is relationship between average restorative internal force per unit area and the relative deformation

Sources : Brzezowski Sławomir, 2010, "Fizyka i Astronomia", Operon