ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Deflection (engineering)

Alright kiddo, let me explain deflection to you like you're 5!

Deflection is a big word that means how much something bends when you push or pull on it. You know how when you press on a paper cup, it gets squished and changes shape? That's deflection!

In engineering, deflection is really important because we need to make sure that things don't bend too much and break or become unsafe. So engineers make sure to calculate how much something will bend before they build it.

Let's say you want to build a bridge. You need to make sure that the bridge doesn't sag too much when cars drive on it, or it might break and cause an accident. Engineers use special formulas to figure out how much the bridge will bend and make sure it's safe before building it.

So, deflection is just the fancy word for how much something bends, and it's important for making sure things are safe and don't break. Pretty cool, huh?
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