What is solid mechanics?

Solid mechanics is a branch of applied mechanics focused on the study of deformable macroscopic solids, covering both elastic and plastic deformation under external forces. It bridges physical theory and practical engineering applications by examining how materials resist distorting influences. Core concepts within the field include elasticity, material moduli, and contact stresses between touching bodies.

What we know

• Solid mechanics is classified as a branch of applied mechanics that deals specifically with the mechanics of deformable macroscopic solids, encompassing both elastic and plastic behavior. [5]
• In continuum mechanics and materials science, elasticity describes the ability of a body to resist a distorting influence and return to its original shape and size once the force is removed. [2]
• Contact mechanics builds upon the mechanics of materials and continuum mechanics to study the deformation of solid bodies that touch each other at one or more points. [4]
• Engineering quantifies material elasticity using elastic moduli such as Young's modulus, bulk modulus, or shear modulus measured in pascals. [2]

Where to go next

• the bigger pictureWhat is applied mechanics?
• how it workedHow does elasticity work in physics?
• a case in pointWhat is contact mechanics?
• compared withHow do fluid mechanics and solid mechanics compare?
• whenWhen did Heinrich Hertz establish contact mechanics?
• an unexpected connectionHow did stacked optical lenses lead to modern contact mechanics?Heinrich Hertz originally developed foundational contact mechanics in 1881 while trying to understand how optical properties changed in stacked lenses under pressure.

Sources

• [1]elasticity (Wikidata Q62932) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Elasticity (physics) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Quantum mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Contact mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Applied mechanics · CC BY-SA 4.0