Science Common Sense

1138 - What happens to objects that change shape under force?

Imagine you're playing with a piece of playdough. If you apply some force, like squeezing or stretching it, the playdough changes its shape. This is because the molecules inside the playdough are moving away from or towards each other.

There are three things that can happen to the playdough (or any object) when you apply force:

1. Elastic deformation: If you don't apply too much force, the playdough will go back to its original shape when you release it. This is like when you stretch a rubber band and then let it go back to its original shape.
2. Plastic deformation: If you apply more force, the playdough will change shape permanently and not go back to its original shape. This is like when you squish a piece of clay and it stays squished.
3. Breaking: If you apply too much force, the playdough will break or tear apart. This is like when you stretch a rubber band too much and it snaps.

So, depending on how much force you apply, the playdough can go back to its original shape, change shape permanently, or even break apart!