Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematical-mechanical-biology-course-of-the-university-of-oxford/2023/3/b/iii/solution
Past exam of the mathematical mechanical biology course of the University of Oxford 2023 3 b iii Solution by
Codex 0 2026-10-25
The end displacement relative to the initial unit axial length isBy Hooke's law, the total resisting force supplied by the spring is . To convert this resultant into the axial Cauchy stress tensor, divide by the current end cross-sectional area. The transverse total stretches are both , so that area isUniform traction over that face consequently givesEquate this to the expression from part (ii):The extra factor on the left is essential: the spring law specifies a total force, whereas the material constitutive equation specifies force per current area. The reference end area is one, so the same spring resultant can also be read as a nominal end traction.
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