The Student Room Group

How to describe shears?

hi so basically i need your help. how do i describe a shear. i can't find any sites online for this. this was my calculation:

(1 0) x (3 3 6 6) = (3 3 6 6)
(-2 1) (1 3 3 1) (-5 -3 -9 -11)

i know that there is something that i have to say about the axis but i really am not sure.

thanks a lot.
Reply 1
Original post by amin11234
hi so basically i need your help. how do i describe a shear. i can't find any sites online for this. this was my calculation:

(1 0) x (3 3 6 6) = (3 3 6 6)
(-2 1) (1 3 3 1) (-5 -3 -9 -11)

i know that there is something that i have to say about the axis but i really am not sure.

thanks a lot.

Which qualification / exam board are you doing? How to describe a shear will vary.
Reply 2
Original post by Notnek
Which qualification / exam board are you doing? How to describe a shear will vary.


Mei further maths
Reply 3
Original post by amin11234
Mei further maths

New linear spec or old modular spec? I'm not that familiar with either but I might be able to check for you.
Reply 4
Original post by Notnek
New linear spec or old modular spec? I'm not that familiar with either but I might be able to check for you.


new spec (sorry for late reply)
Reply 5
Original post by amin11234
new spec (sorry for late reply)

Quote from your spec:

A shear may be defined by giving the fixed line and the image of a point. (The fixed line of a shear is a line of invariant points.) The shear factor is the distance moved by a point divided by its perpendicular distance from the fixed line. Learners should know this, but the shear factor should not be used to define a shear as there are different conventions about the sign of a shear factor.


So to define your shear you'll need to state the invariant line and the image of a point not on the invariant line.

You should be able to see the image of (1,0) by looking at your matrix.

If you're still stuck, please let us know which part you don't understand.

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