Photoelasticity
Fotoelasticidad
- Date
- 1815 · confidence high
- Place
- Edinburgh, Scotland, United Kingdom
- Credited to
- David Brewster
- Field
- Cosmos & Earth
What was discovered
Scottish physicist David Brewster discovered photoelasticity in 1815: the change in optical properties of a transparent material under mechanical stress, allowing the experimental visualization and measurement of internal stress distribution using polarized light.
What it led to
- Experimental stress analysis in structural engineering
- Optical non-destructive testing methods
- Development of industrial polariscopy