Bending elasticity of macromolecules: analytic predictions from the wormlike chain model

Anirban Polley1, Joseph Samuel, Supurna Sinha

  • 1Raman Research Institute, Bangalore 560 080, India.

Related Concept Videos

Members Made of Elastoplastic Material01:19

Members Made of Elastoplastic Material

The behavior of elastoplastic materials under bending stresses, particularly in structural members with rectangular cross-sections, is crucial for predicting material responses and understanding failure modes. Initially, when a bending moment is applied, the stress distribution across the section follows Hooke's Law and is linear and elastic. This distribution means the stress increases from the neutral axis to the maximum at the outer fibers, up to the elastic limit.
As the bending moment...
Mechanisms of Membrane-bending01:15

Mechanisms of Membrane-bending

The living membranes are flexible due to their fluid mosaic nature; however, their bending into different shapes is an active process regulated by specific lipids and proteins. The membrane bending can be transient as seen in vesicles or stable for a long time as in microvilli. Cells regulate the size, location, and duration of the membrane curvature.
Membrane bending can happen due to intrinsic changes in lipid composition or extrinsic association with different proteins. The proteins involved...
IR Spectroscopy: Hooke's Law Approximation of Molecular Vibration01:16

IR Spectroscopy: Hooke's Law Approximation of Molecular Vibration

A covalently bonded heteronuclear diatomic molecule can be modeled as two vibrating masses connected by a spring. The vibrational frequency of the bond can be expressed using an equation derived from Hooke's law, which describes how the force applied to stretch or compress a spring is proportional to the displacement of the spring. In this case, the atoms behave like masses, and the bond acts like a spring.
According to Hooke's law, the vibrational frequency is directly proportional to the...
Conformations of Cyclohexane02:11

Conformations of Cyclohexane

Cyclohexane does not exist in a planar form due to the high angle and torsional strain it would experience in the planar structure. Instead, it adopts non-planar chair and boat conformations.
The chair form is the most stable and derives its name from its resemblance to the “easy chair.” In the chair conformation, two carbon atoms are arranged out-of-plane — one above and one below, minimizing the torsional strain. In the chair form, the bond angle is very close to the ideal tetrahedral value,...
Bending of Members Made of Several Materials01:11

Bending of Members Made of Several Materials

In analyzing a structural member composed of two different materials with identical cross-sectional areas, it is crucial to understand how their distinct elastic properties affect the member's response under load. The analysis involves assessing stress and strain distributions using the transformed section concept, which accounts for variations in material properties.
Hooke's Law determines stress in each material, stating that stress is proportional to strain but varies due to each material's...
Residual Stresses in Bending01:18

Residual Stresses in Bending

In the study of elastoplastic members subjected to bending moments, understanding the loading and unloading phases is crucial for assessing material behavior and structural integrity. During the loading phase, as the bending moment increases, the material initially responds elastically, adhering to Hooke's Law, where stress is directly proportional to strain. When the load exceeds the yield strength, plastic deformation occurs, resulting in permanent strain and deformation that remains even...