[stat-iks] 
) | the branch of mechanics that deals with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium. |
[stat-ik] | 1. | pertaining to or characterized by a fixed or stationary condition. |
| 2. | showing little or no change: a static concept; a static relationship. |
| 3. | lacking movement, development, or vitality: The novel was marred by static characterizations, especially in its central figures. |
| 4. | Sociology. referring to a condition of social life bound by tradition. |
| 5. | Electricity. pertaining to or noting static electricity. |
| 6. | noting or pertaining to atmospheric electricity interfering with radar, radio, the sending and receiving of wireless messages, etc. |
| 7. | Physics. acting by mere weight without producing motion: static pressure. |
| 8. | Economics. pertaining to fixed relations, or different combinations of fixed quantities: static population. |
| 9. | Electricity.
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| 10. | Informal. difficulty; trouble: Will your dad give you any static on using the car? |
| stat·ics (stāt'ĭks) n. (used with a sing. or pl. verb) The equilibrium mechanics of stationary bodies. |
static
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statics
in physics, the subdivision of mechanics that is concerned with the forces that act on bodies at rest under equilibrium conditions. Its foundations were laid more than 2,200 years ago by the ancient Greek mathematician Archimedes and others while studying the force-amplifying properties of simple machines such as the lever and the axle. The methods and results of the science of statics have proved especially useful in designing buildings, bridges, and dams, as well as cranes and other similar mechanical devices. To be able to calculate the dimensions of such structures and machines, architects and engineers must first determine the forces that act on their interconnected parts. Statics provides the analytical and graphical procedures needed to identify and describe these unknown forces.
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