Girty, G. 2002. Strain Machine, A Macromedia Director 8.5 Application for Introducing the Concepts of Simple and Pure Shear. In: Bobyarchick, A. 2002. Visualisation, Teaching and Learning in Structural Geology. Journal of the Virtual Explorer, 9, 31-38.
Strain Machine
A Macromedia Director 8.5 Application for Introducing
the Concepts of Simple and Pure Shear
Placed in Dynamic Review - 23 May 2002

Gary H. Girty

Department of Geological Sciences San Diego State University San Diego, California 92182-1020
email: ggirty@geology.sdsu.edu
http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/visualstructure

Abstract

Strain Machine, a Macromedia Director 8.5 program, and 9 interactive Flash 5 animations were developed to allow students a simple means of discovery through experimentation. Specifically, Strain Machine allows students to conduct simple and pure shear experiments while the 9 interactive Flash 5 animations emphasize the dynamics of the various components of experiments conducted with Strain Machine, and other geometrical and mathematical aspects of deformation and strain. The mathematical background necessary for students to use Strain Machine is provided as an exercise that might be fruitfully applied in an introductory structural geology class. Executable versions of Strain Machine and the 9 interactive Flash animations used in this paper are freely downloadable at the author's web site.

Keywords: structure, strain, pure shear, simple shear, plane strain, animations

 

Index:

Introduction

Background

The Strain Transformation Equations

Strain Machine

Experimenting in Strain Machine

Conclusions

References Cited