To the students of ES 241:
Although finite deformation was introduced in ES 240 (Solid Mechanics), finite deformation is a building block of ES 241. To review the subject, please go over a set of problems compiled by Jim Rice. If you need a reference, see my outline of finite deformation, where you can also find a short list of textbooks.
A sponge is an elastic solid with connected pores. When immersed in water, the sponge absorbs water. When a saturated sponge is squeezed, water will come out. More generally, the subject is known as diffusion in elastic solids, or elasticity of fluid-infiltrated porous solids, or poroelasticity. The theory has been applied to diverse phenomena. Here are a few examples.
These notes are part of a graduate course on advanced elasticity.
So far we have been mainly concerned with systems of a single independent variable: energy (node/4878). We now consider a system of two independent variables: energy and volume. A thermodynamic model of the system is prescribed by entropy as a function of energy and volume.
The partial derivatives of the function give the temperature and the pressure. This fact leads to an experimental procedure to determine the function for a given system.
The laws of ideal gases and osmosis are derived. The two phenomena illustrate entropic elasticity.
Return to the outline of Statistical Mechanics.
