shear modulus
shear modulus
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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| the force that acts between bodies of like electric charge or magnetic polarity, tending to separate them |
| a quantized state in which matter may exist, having constant energy and separated from others in the series by finite quantities of energy |
| shear modulus
See under modulus of elasticity. |
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.
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shear modulus
numerical constant that describes the elastic properties of a solid under the application of transverse internal forces such as arise, for example, in torsion, as in twisting a metal pipe about its lengthwise axis. Within such a material any small cubic volume is slightly distorted in such a way that two of its faces slide parallel to each other a small distance and two other faces change from squares to diamond shapes. The shear modulus is a measure of the ability of a material to resist transverse deformations and is a valid index of elastic behaviour only for small deformations, after which the material is able to return to its original configuration. Large shearing forces lead to flow and permanent deformation or fracture. The shear modulus is also known as the rigidity
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