Elasticity: Definition, Examples

The elasticity is a physical property enjoyed by certain bodies that allow them to change their shape in case they are under a stretch naturally returning to its rest position when it ceases to be. In fact, it is a deformation of the bodies by presenting an external force that once withdrawn and lacking power, allows the body to return to its original shape.

Many of the solid objects that appear in people’s daily lives lack elasticity completely: it is impossible to imagine a paper, glass, or cardboard being temporarily modified in its shape and returning to its natural state, well before reaching that the objects would break. However, many disciplines that are important to people use elastic objects to optimize their conditions and applications: engineering is an example of this, is the discipline that deals with construction, and the guidelines followed for it. Hooke ‘s Law
It is a contribution in this sense, which states that the unitary elongation experienced by an elastic material is directly proportional to the force exerted on it.
According to the physical concept of elasticity, here are some examples of situations that include it.
See also: Stress and Strain

Elasticity Examples in Daily Life

1. The springs.
2. The base of a trampoline.
3. The bow to shoot arrows.
4. Fishing rods.
5. The mattresses.
6. Rubber bracelets.
7. The clothes.
8. The chewing gum, when chewed.
9. The string of a guitar, in a state of tension.
10. The cables.

Elasticity in the human body

A particular case of elasticity is that which occurs within the human body itself. Many organs, tissues, and muscles have the property of being able to stretch, returning to their natural state according to different situations: the stomach, for example, needs elasticity during the feeding process.
The elasticity of the muscles is essential so that the body can remain relaxed and not have the stiffness that overwhelms and tires, and to improve that elasticity, there is a series of stretching exercises, mainly based on stretching different parts of the body. Perhaps the maximum example of the elasticity of the human body is in men and women who manage to simultaneously support their arms and feet on the floor, with their bellies up.
See also: Examples of Flexibility Exercises

Elasticity in Economics

There is a variation of the application of the concept of elasticity, which takes the idea of ​​the ability to deform and stretch, but has nothing to do with physical property. The economy understands that elasticity is the propensity to modify one variable when changing another, which somehow ends it. It is a fundamental term for microeconomic studies from the 20th century.
The most elemental version is the demand-price elasticity, thinking about how much the demand for a product changes as its price increases: since people tend to consume less when prices increase, this elasticity will generally be negative.
In the case of the supply-price elasticity, which is the same but seen from the producer or entrepreneur side, it will be a generally positive value.
See Also: Difference between young’s modulus, bulk modulus, and shear modulus