The elasticity It is a physical property that certain bodies enjoy, which allows them to change their shape in the event that they are under a stretch, naturally returning to their position of rest when they stop being. For instance: springs, gum, fishing rods. In fact, it is a deformation of the bodies when an external force is presented which, once withdrawn and lacking in power, allows the body to return to its original shape.
Elasticity is a property that can only be attributed to a solid body, since those found in the other states have laws of motion that do not allow a demonstration of this type.
Many of the solid objects that appear in people’s daily lives completely lack elasticity: it is impossible to imagine a paper, a glass or a cardboard being temporarily modified in its shape and returning to its natural state, since long before reaching that the objects would break.
However, many disciplines that are important for people use elastic objects to optimize their conditions and their applications: engineering is an example of this, being the discipline that deals with construction and the guidelines followed for it. Hooke’s Law is a contribution in this sense, which states that the unit 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.
Examples of elasticity
- Springs.
- The base of a trampoline.
- The bow to shoot arrows.
- Fishing rods.
- The mattresses.
- The rubber bracelets.
- Clothes.
- Chewing gum, when chewed.
- The string of a guitar, in a state of tension.
- The cables.
Elasticity in the human body
A particular case of elasticity is that which occurs within the body itself. body. 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 muscles It is essential for the body to stay relaxed and not have the stiffness that overwhelms and tires, and to improve this elasticity is that there are a series of elongation exercises, based mainly on stretching different parts of the body. Perhaps the greatest example of the elasticity of the human body is in men and women who manage to simultaneously support their arms and feet on the ground, with their bellies up.
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 it has nothing to do with the 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 on.
The most basic version is demand-price elasticity, thinking about how much the demand for a product changes when its price increases: as the tendency of people is to consume less when prices increase, this elasticity will generally be negative.
In the case of supply-price elasticity, which is the same but seen from the side of the producer or the entrepreneur, it will be a generally positive value.