What are the mechanical properties of fluids and how do they differ from solids?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking about the mechanical properties of fluids, specifically how fluids differ from solids and the characteristics that define fluids, such as their ability to change shape under stress and their compressibility compared to solids and gases.
Answer
Fluids offer little resistance to shear stress; solids resist tensile, compressive, and shear forces.
Fluids cannot resist shear stress and have no definite shape, offering very little resistance to it. Solids can resist tensile, compressive, and shear forces up to a certain limit and have a definite shape.
Answer for screen readers
Fluids cannot resist shear stress and have no definite shape, offering very little resistance to it. Solids can resist tensile, compressive, and shear forces up to a certain limit and have a definite shape.
More Information
Fluids, comprising both liquids and gases, do not maintain a fixed shape and yield easily to shear forces. Solids, in contrast, retain a fixed shape and can withstand forces without deformation.
Tips
A common mistake is assuming that all fluids behave the same under all types of forces; understanding the behavior under different stresses is crucial.
Sources
- FluidProperties - Annamalai University - annamalaiuniversity.ac.in
- The mechanics of Fluids vs. Solids - MIT - web.mit.edu
- Properties of Liquids and Solids - Chemistry LibreTexts - chem.libretexts.org
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