Definition:Body
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Definition
In the context of physics and applied mathematics, a body is an object (possibly idealized) which is imagined to have a material existence in the physical universe.
A body can be considered as an aggregate of particles to which it is possible to apply a force.
Rigid Body
A rigid body is a body $B$ with the property that the distance between any two points of $B$ remains constant regardless of any external forces.
Deformable Body
A deformable body is a body $B$ which is not rigid.
That is, when under the influence of a force, the distance between any two points of $B$ may not remain constant.
Also see
- Results about bodies can be found here.
Sources
- 1975: Patrick J. Murphy: Applied Mathematics Made Simple (revised ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): Chapter $1$: Mechanics: $(1)$ Rigid Bodies
- 2014: Christopher Clapham and James Nicholson: The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Mathematics (5th ed.) ... (previous) ... (next): body