Elastic: |
(english) A material or structure is said to behave elastically if it returns to its original geometry upon unloading. |
Elastic energy: |
(english) The energy stored in deformed elastic material (e.g., a watch spring). Elastic energy equals where k is the stiffness, and is the associated deflection. Elastic energy is sometimes called elastic potential energy because it can be recovered when the object returns to its original shape; see potential energy. |
Elastic limit: |
(english) The point beyond which the deformations of a structure or material are no longer purely elastic. |
Energy: |
(english) A property of a body related to its ability to move a force through a distance opposite the force's direction; energy is the product of the magnitude of the force times the distance. Energy may take several forms: see kinetic energy, potential energy, and elastic energy. |
Equilibrium: |
(english) An object is in equilibrium if the resultant of the system of forces acting on it has zero magnitude. See static equilibrium and dynamic equilibrium. |
External force: |
(english) A surface force or body force acting on an object. External forces are sometimes called applied forces. |
Fixed connection: |
(english) In two dimensions, a fixed connection between two members restrains all three degrees of freedom of the connected member with respect to one another. A fixed connection is sometimes called a rigid connection or moment-resisting connection. |
Fixed support: |
(english) In two dimensions, a fixed support restrains three degrees of freedom: two translations and one rotation. |
Flexibility: |
(english) Flexibility is the inverse of stiffness. When a force is applied to a structure, there is a displacement in the direction of the force; flexibility is the ratio of the displacement divided by the force. High flexibility means that a small load produces a large displacement. |
Flexure: |
(english) Bending deformation, i.e., deformation by increasing curvature. |