rigidity

physics

Also known as: rigid body

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Last updated

July 13, 2026

Quick Summary

In physics, rigidity refers to a material's resistance to deformation when subjected to stress. It is quantified by the shear modulus, which measures how well a material can withstand transverse forces without permanent change. A rigid material, like steel, will deform very little under stress and return to its original shape once the force is removed. This property is crucial in engineering for designing structures that can withstand various loads. Rigidity is the opposite of flexibility, where materials easily bend or change shape.12345

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mechanics
Rigid bodies
Statics is the study of bodies and structures that are in equilibrium. For a body to be in equilibrium, there must be no net force acting on it. In addition, there must be no net torque acting on it. Figure 17A shows…
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Statics is the study of bodies and structures that are in equilibrium. For a body to be in equilibrium, there must be no net force acting on it. In addition, there must be no net torque acting on it. Figure 17A shows…
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mechanics
Configuration space
…specifies that a body is rigid. Then, even though the body is composed of a very large number of atoms, it is not necessary to find separately the x, y, and z coordinate of each atom because these are related to those of the other atoms by the condition of…
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…specifies that a body is rigid. Then, even though the body is composed of a very large number of atoms, it is not necessary to find separately the x, y, and z coordinate of each atom because these are related to those of the other atoms by the condition of…
Read More