Creep (deformation)

Creep deformation is like playing with playdough. Imagine you have a warm ball of playdough and you slowly press down on it with your fingers. At first, the playdough stretches a little bit and then it stays the same. However, if you keep pressing down with your fingers very slowly, you will notice that the playdough starts to move and change shape. This is called creep.

Similarly, when certain materials are under stress, such as a heavy weight being placed on top of them, they may slowly start to deform or change shape over time. This is called creep deformation.

The amount of deformation depends on a few things, such as the amount of stress that is applied, the amount of time that stress is applied, and the material that is being stressed. Just like the playdough, some materials are more susceptible to creep than others.

Creep deformation can cause problems in certain situations. For example, if you are building a bridge and the steel supporting it starts to slowly deform under the weight of the cars, it could eventually lead to the collapse of the bridge. Engineers and scientists study creep deformation to better understand how materials behave under stress and how to design structures that can withstand the forces over time.