Strain in the context of aircraft design refers to the deformation or change in the shape or size of a material when subjected to an external force. It is a measure of how much a material stretches or compresses under load. Strain is crucial to understand the behavior of materials and structures in response to mechanical forces.
The formula for strain (ε) is defined as:
- ε is the strain, which is a dimensionless quantity (no units).
- ΔL is the change in length of the material due to deformation (in meters, m).
- Lâ‚€ is the original, undeformed length of the material (in meters, m).