Continuum mechanics is a branch of physics (specifically mechanics) that deals with continuous matter, including both solids and fluids (i.e., liquids and gases). The first few hydrogen atom electron orbitals shown as cross-sections with color-coded probability density. ... Mechanics (Greek ) is the branch of physics concerned with the behaviour of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effect of the bodies on their environment. ... Look up continuum in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In jewelry, a solid gold piece is the alternative to gold-filled or gold-plated jewelry. ... A subset of the phases of matter, fluids include liquids, gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids. ... A liquid will assume the shape of its container. ... A gas is one of the four main phases of matter (after solid and liquid, and followed by plasma), that subsequently appear as a solid material is subjected to increasingly higher temperatures. ...

The fact that matter is made of atoms and that it commonly has some sort of heterogeneous microstructure is ignored in the simplifying approximation that physical quantities, such as energy and momentum, can be handled in the infinitesimal limit. Differential equations can thus be employed in solving problems in continuum mechanics. Some of these differential equations are specific to the materials being investigated and are called constitutive equations, while others capture fundamental physical laws, such as conservation of mass or conservation of momentum. In fluids, the Knudsen number is used to assess to what extent the approximation of continuity can be made. Properties For other uses, see Atom (disambiguation). ... In classical mechanics, momentum (pl. ... In mathematics, an infinitesimal, or infinitely small number, is a number that is smaller in absolute value than any positive real number. ... In mathematics, the concept of a limit is used to describe the behavior of a function as its argument either gets close to some point, or as it becomes larger and larger; or the behavior of a sequences elements, as their index becomes larger and larger. ... Graph of a differential equation In mathematics, a differential equation is an equation in which the derivatives of a function appear as variables. ... In structural analysis, constitutive relations connect applied stresses or forces to strains or deformations. ... A physical law, scientific law, or a law of nature is a scientific generalization based on empirical observations of physical behavior. ... The law of conservation of mass/matter (The Lomonosov-Lavoisier law) states that the mass of a closed system of substances will remain constant, regardless of the processes acting inside the system. ... In physics, a conservation law states that a particular measurable property of an isolated physical system does not change as the system evolves. ... A subset of the phases of matter, fluids include liquids, gases, plasmas and, to some extent, plastic solids. ... The Knudsen number (Kn) is the ratio of the molecular mean free path length to a representative physical length scale. ...

The physical laws of solids and fluids do not depend on the coordinate system in which they are observed. Continuum mechanics thus uses tensors, which are mathematical objects that are independent of coordinate system. These tensors can be expressed in coordinate systems, for computational convenience. A physical law, scientific law, or a law of nature is a scientific generalization based on empirical observations of physical behavior. ... In mathematics as applied to geometry, physics or engineering, a coordinate system is a system for assigning a tuple of numbers to each point in an n-dimensional space. ... In mathematics, a tensor is (in an informal sense) a generalized linear quantity or geometrical entity that can be expressed as a multi-dimensional array relative to a choice of basis; however, as an object in and of itself, a tensor is independent of any chosen frame of reference. ...

Solid mechanics is the branch of physics and mathematics that concern the behavior of solid matter under external actions (e. ... There are separate articles about elasticity in economics, and about British rubber bands. ... Figure 1  Stress tensor A mature tree trunk may support a greater force than a fine steel wire but intuitively we feel that steel is stronger than wood. ... In physics and materials science, plasticity is a property of a material to undergo a non-reversible change of shape in response to an applied force. ... Rheology is the study of the deformation and flow of matter. ... A viscoelastic material is one in which: hysteresis is seen in the stress-strain curve. ... The hydrogeology is study about of water-bearing formation. ... Fluid statics (also called hydrostatics) is the science of fluids at rest, and is a sub-field within fluid mechanics. ... Fluid dynamics is the subdiscipline of fluid mechanics that studies fluids (liquids and gases) in motion. ... The pitch drop experiment at the University of Queensland. ... A non-Newtonian fluid is a fluid in which the viscosity changes with the applied strain rate. ... The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ...

See also

• Equation of state
• Finite deformation tensors

In physics and thermodynamics, an equation of state is a constitutive equation describing the state of matter under a given set of physical conditions. ... In continuum mechanics, finite deformation tensors are tensors that are used to measure deformation. ...