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PH03-06 Physics Coming soon

Elastic and inelastic deformation

PH03-06

This lesson is coming soon.

In this lesson

Tell an elastic deformation from an inelastic one, and say why changing an object's shape always needs more than one force.

What it covers

  • Changing an object's SHAPE - stretching, bending or compressing - always needs MORE THAN ONE FORCE; a single force just moves the object
  • Naming the second force in each case: two hands squeezing, a hook and a hanging weight, a wall and a push, the ground and a foot
  • Elastic deformation: the object returns to its original shape and length when the forces are removed
  • Inelastic deformation, also called plastic deformation: it does not - some change is kept
  • Using the exam's own words in the answer - elastic, inelastic, plastic, returns to its original shape
  • The elastic limit, described qualitatively, as the load past which the object stops coming back
  • Examples on both sides of the line: a spring, a rubber band, a diving board and a steel beam are elastic; a paperclip, a crushed can, modelling clay and a dented car panel are inelastic
  • Energy is stored in an object that has been stretched elastically - NAMED here in one sentence, calculated nowhere in this video

Key words

For: AQA GCSE 8463, Edexcel GCSE 1PH0, OCR GCSE J249

On the specification

BoardSpecStatement
AQA GCSE 84634.5.3Forces and elasticity
Edexcel GCSE 1PH015.1Explain, using springs and other elastic objects, that stretching, bending or compressing an object requires more than one force
Edexcel GCSE 1PH015.2Describe the difference between elastic and inelastic distortion
OCR GCSE J249P2.3aExplain that to stretch, bend or compress an object, more than one force has to be applied
OCR GCSE J249P2.3bDescribe the difference between elastic and plastic deformation (distortions) caused by stretching forces
For teachers

This GCSE Physics lesson teaches elastic and inelastic deformation. By the end, students should be able to tell an elastic deformation from an inelastic one, and say why changing an object's shape always needs more than one force. It works through three worked examples and the mistakes examiners report, and suits Foundation and Higher tier students.