专业英语第二单 Unit 2 Stress and strain.docVIP

Unit 2 Stress and strain 1 Introduction to mechanics of materials Mechanics of materials is a branch of applied mechanics that deals with the behaviour of solid bodies subjected to various types of loading. It is a field of study that is known by variety of names, including “strength of materials ” and “mechanics of deformable bodies” . The solid bodies considered in this book include axially-loaded bars, shafts, beams, and columns, as well as structures that are assemblies of these components. Usually the objective of our analysis will be the determination of stresses, strains, and the deformations produced by the loads; if these quantities can be found for all values of load up to the failure load, then we will have obtained a complete picture of the mechanical behaviour of the body. Theoretical analysis and experimental results have equally important roles in the study of mechanics of materials. On many occasions we will make logical derivations to obtain formulas and equations for predicting mechanical behaviour, but at the same time we must recognize that these formulas can not be used in a realistic way unless certain properties of the material are known. These properties are available to us only after suitable experiments have been made in laboratory. Also, many problems of importance in engineering can not be handled efficiently by theoretical means, and experimental measurements become a practical necessity. The historical development of mechanics of material is a fascinating blend of both theory and experiment, with experiments pointing the way to useful results in some instances and with theory doing so in others. Such famous men as Leonard da vinci(1452-1519) and Galileo Galilei(1564-1642) made experiments to determine the strength of wires, bars, and beams, although they did not develop any adequate theories(by today’s standards) to explain their test results. By contrast, the famous mathematician Leonhard Euler(1707-1783) developed the mathematical the