ABSTRACT
Solid mechanics is a collection of physical laws, mathematical techniques, and computer algorithms that can be used to predict the behavior of a solid material that is subjected to mechanical or thermal loading. e eld has a wide range of applications, including the following:
1. Geomechanics: Modeling the shape of planets, tectonics, and earthquake prediction
2. Civil engineering: Designing structures or soil foundations
3. Mechanical engineering: Designing load-bearing components for vehicles, engines, or turbines for power generation and transmission, as well as appliances
4. Manufacturing engineering: Designing processes (such as machining) for forming metals and polymers
5. Biomechanics: Designing implants and medical devices, as well as modeling stress driven phenomena controlling cellular and molecular processes
6. Materials science: Designing composites, alloy microstructures, thin lms, and developing techniques for processing materials
7. Microelectronics: Designing failure-resistant packaging and interconnects for microelectronic circuits
8. Nanotechnology: Modeling stress-driven self-assembly on surfaces, manufacturing processes such as nano-imprinting, and modeling atomic-force microscope/sample interactions
is chapter describes how solid mechanics can be used to solve practical problems. e remainder of the book contains a more detailed description of the physical laws that
govern deformation and failure in solids, as well as the mathematical and computational methods that are used to solve problems involving deformable solids:
Chapter 2 covers the mathematical description of shape changes and internal forces in solids.
