Question

The term Saint-Venant's principle tells us that:

A) Stress is uniform in an elastic material
B) Deformation is concentrated at a point
C) The shape of an object affects its buoyancy
D) Disturbances propagate with finite speed

Answer 1

Saint-Venant's principle indicates that localized stresses or strains in an elastic material dissipate with distance from the applied load, leading to a uniform stress distribution away from the point of application.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term Saint-Venant's principle tells us that the effects of the applied loads and boundary conditions in an elastic material will dissipate or 'spread' and tend to become uniformly distributed throughout the material, except in regions close to where the loads are applied. This principle essentially means that the localized stresses or strains will not have a significant effect on the stress distribution at distances sufficiently far away from where the forces are applied. This concept is particularly useful in solving complex engineering problems, as it allows the engineer to simplify the analysis by considering uniform stress distribution at a distance from the point of load application.