Hooke’s law was a law discovered by Robert Hooke, an English scientist in 1660. Hooke’s law states that for a small deformation in an object, the displacement of the deformation will be directly proportional to the force acting on it.

With that law we come up with the formula F = kx, where F is the force, k is the constant and the change in length is denoted by x.

Elasticity

Elasticity is the ability of a body to be bent or deformed and return to its original state without any permanent deformation or damage. Most solid materials show some level of elasticity, some more than others. Each metal has its limit within which it can return to its original form and this limit is called the elastic limit. If a pressure of more than that of the elastic limit is applied, the object will be permanently damaged or deformed.

Young modulus states that when Hooke’s law is obeyed, the strain is constant. We can obtain the spring constant ( k ) from Young’s modulus of any object.

What is Elasticity

There are certain objects that return to their original configuration immediately after removal of pressure and such objects are known as perfectly elastic bodies. The objects that do not return to their original form after the pressure is removed are called perfectly plastic bodies.

They are 3 modules for elasticity, they are-

1. Young’s modulus-
   
   The ratio of stress by the strain within the elastic limits is known as the young’s modulus
2. Rigidity modulus-
   
   Rigidity modulus is the ratio of shear stress to the shear strain of an object.
3. Bulk modulus-
   
   Within the elastic limit, the ratio of the volume of stress to the volume of strain is known as the bulk modulus.

The real-life applications of elasticity, that is, how it helps us in our day-to-day life can be the rubber bands that we use to hold together certain items. The rubber band on our clothes is also a very good example of elasticity as it stretches to fit us accordingly and then goes back to its original shape without any deformation. It is also used to design the clothes of swimmers and cyclists to decrease drag to the lowest amount possible.

Elasticity Definition

From Hooke’s law, we are given that the formula is F = kx, where F is the force, k is the constant and the change in length is denoted by x.

Applications of elasticity are-

1. Metallic parts of a machine are never given stress more than their elastic limit
2. Cranes are allowed to lift a load only after deciding the material’s elastic limit.
3. The concept of elasticity helps us calculate the height of a tall object, for example a mountain.
4. The foundations of a building like the beams are done after calculating their elasticity.

Applications of elasticity in building structures-

1. Huge Buildings such as skyscrapers and overbridges use the concept of elasticity to make them safe and stable.
2. Cranes lift loads only after the elasticity of the ropes is calculated.
3. Bridges are also made on the concept of elasticity by calculating their elastic limit.

Conclusion

Elasticity is a very valuable concept for our daily life from small products to massive bridges, skyscrapers and cranes lifting tons of weight. The elasticity gives us the exact amount of force we can apply for the solid to go back safely to its original state without damaging its structure.