The discussion centers on the physics of how solid objects, particularly cubes made of glass, break apart when subjected to force. Key concepts include the strength of materials, modes of failure, and the mechanics of collisions. The interaction between two cubes, when force is applied edge-to-edge, results in high pressure at the contact point, leading to notching and spalling of the material. Additionally, the relationship between force, momentum, and energy transfer during collisions is highlighted, emphasizing that force is not conserved while momentum is.
PREREQUISITESPhysics students, materials scientists, engineers, and anyone interested in understanding the mechanics of material failure and collision dynamics.
The object is solid and the force is applied one way (hit). Is there any way currently explaining how it will break?Baluncore said:What is the object, and how is the force applied.
That is an enormous subject related to the strength of materials.
There are many modes of failure and many material types.
You could drop it on the floor, or over-bend it in a press.
It could implode or explode.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fracture_mechanics
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fracture_mechanics#See_also
Yes.Nabir14 said:The object is solid and the force is applied one way (hit). Is there any way currently explaining how it will break?
SolidBaluncore said:Yes.
What material is the object made from?
What shape is the object?
What is it hit by?
How was the object supported at the time it was hit?
You're right let me edit the threadVanadium 50 said:There are entire courses devoted to strength of materials. Entire textbooks too.
To get a specific answer, you need to ask a specific question - "if I put a force on a thing what will happen" is too vague.
Liquids and gasses do not "break" so it must be solid.Nabir14 said:Solid
Let's go with glass and yes same metarialBaluncore said:Liquids and gasses do not "break" so it must be solid.
Are both cubes made from the same material?
What is the material, glass, wood, plastic, etc?
edge across edge.Baluncore said:Do the cubes contact;
face to face,
point to face,
edge to face, or
edge across edge?
Can these forces be represented as Sine Waves? Does sine waves has to do anything with this?Baluncore said:Edge across edge will have a very small initial area, so a very high pressure. Where the edges contact, the edge will be crushed, forming a notch. The faces next to the notch will spawl, with a flake of glass exploding from the surface. The relative size of the flakes produced from each face will depend on the angle to the face. Both cubes will receive a similar amount of damage, that will dissipate the energy of the collision.
Certainly not by just one sinewave.Nabir14 said:Does sine waves has to do anything with this?
Thank you very much.Baluncore said:Certainly not by just one sinewave.
A pulse, or the step function of a collision, can be represented by a harmonic series of sine waves.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourier_series
Yes, as the collision continues, the area of the notches in contact increases, the work done crushing glass, is the product of the remaining force, by the distance travelled in contact.Nabir14 said:I was thinking if the Force is decreased by every atom it collides with. Does it?
If any force is still left will it transfer that force to the object that is touching it like in this example the table?Baluncore said:Yes, as the collision continues, the area of the notches in contact increase, the work done crushing glass is the product of the remaining force by the distance travelled in contact.
At some point, the pressure in the contact zone will fall below that needed to crush glass, so the cubes will bounce off each other, being pushed apart by the energy stored in the elasticity of intact glass around the contact.
That will be determined by how the cubes are supported. Most of the remaining energy will be elastic, so it will cause the cubes to move apart, or to bounce on the surface of the table.Nabir14 said:If any force is still left will it transfer that force to the object that is touching it like in this example the table?
"Force" is not a conserved quantity. It is not used up. Momentum a conserved quantity that you can sensibly ask about.Nabir14 said:If any force is still left will it transfer that force to the object that is touching it like in this example the table?