KINEMATICS OF CONTINUUM

Study of a matter at atomic or molecular level is useful to

understand variety of phenomena, but is not useful to solve the
engineering problems.

Continuum mechanics deals with the study of various forms of

matter at macroscopic level.
It is based on an assumption that the discrete nature of matter can
be overlooked, provided the length scale of the interest are large
as compared to the length scale of discrete structure.
It will form a continuum over which all physical quantities of
interest, including the density are continuous.

 In present chapter we study the geometric

changes in a continuum.

The study of the geometric changes without

consideration of forces that cause them is known

as kinematics.

DISCRIPTION OF MOTION
Consider a body of known geometry, constitution and
loading in three dimension Euclidean space R3.
Stress

-set of particles, which contains many molecules and having

a continuous distribution of matter in space and time.
For a set of loading, this undergoes some geometrical
changes which are known as deformation:

 These changes induces, the stress in the body.

If loading is time dependent then the deformation are the function
of time i.e., geometry of body keep changing with time.
If the load is applied slowly the deformation depends on load only
i.e., body will occupy a continuous sequence of geometrical
regions.
The region occupied by the continuum at a given time t is called
as configuration and denoted by .
Thus the sequence of positions occupied by material points of
continuum at different times are known as configurations

Suppose 0 is the initial configuration of continuum, where particle P

occupies position X in Reference Rectangular Cartesian system (X1,
X2 , X3 ). Here (X1, X2 , X3 ) defines the position of point P at X, hence
called as material co-ordinates.

Let after the application of load, new continuum configuration is 1.

1 denotes deformed or current configuration.
Now x holds the position of p in deformed configuration.

Mapping of the body from K0 to K is called as deformation mapping.

Here we take the position vector of P in Reference configuration X and place the

same in deformed configuration x=(X)

(X) deformation mapping from reference to current configuration.

For mapping we should choose same reference for both configuration.

Where,

Where

and

have same origin.

The mathematical description of deformation of a

continuum have two approaches:

1. Material description.
2. Spatial description.

MATERIAL DESCRIPTION
This is also known as Lagrangian description,

In this description, the motion of a body is always

referred to the un-deformed configuration.
The current co-ordinates (xk) of materials are expressed
in terms at the reference co-ordinates (XKo).
Where , x= (X,t) and (x,0)= X.

Variation of any variable is expressed w.r.t, material co-ordinate X and t.

= (X, t)

Fig.2

As shown in Fig.2 P has a reference configuration X and for X K0.

= (X, t) gives the value of at any time t associated with the fixed
material point P.
As time changes the material particle P at XK0 occupies new configuration
thus has new values.
Here attention is given to the material particle P of the continuum.

2. SPATIAL DESCRIPTION

This is also known as Eulerian Description.

The motion of the particle P is refereed to the current configuration K

occupied by the body k . Thus the variable is described w.r.t current

position (x K) in the space.
Here, X= X(x, t) , X is function of x and t.
and

= (x,t)

(x1, x2 ,x3 ) are known as spatial co-ordinates for fixed x K.

Here = (x,t)

gives the value of associated with the fixed point x in

space.
Therefore gives the value of different material points at different time.
Because at different time, different material points occupies the position x K.

Fig-3

This implies that different value of is observed at same

spatial location x K with change in time.

Here attention is focused on the spatial position x K.