In this free online course, you are introduced to the subject of soft matter or soft condensed matter, which refers to materials that are easily deformed by thermal fluctuations and external forces. You will explore the two aspects that make up material linearity, as well as the classification of polymers and the material response to sinusoidal oscillations. Demonstrations, problems, examples and assessment questions in this instructor-led video-based course, are designed to provide you with a comprehensive foundation in everything connected to the study and analysis of soft matter.

The course will introduce you to the definitions of soft condensed matter and viscoelasticity. Then, the creep phenomenon will be discussed, which describes a continued straining or flow under constant stress. You will explore the concept of objectivity, which states that the fundamental laws of nature are independent of the frame of reference. You will also discover the fact that, in the viscoelastic solid type response, the stress relaxation function does not decay down to zero.

Next, you will learn about creep and stress relaxation functions. You will gain insight into the Deborah number (De), the University of Queensland’s pitch drop experiment and you will discover the importance of understanding constitutive modelling. Finally, you will study three-parameter viscoelastic models, constitutive equations and sinusoidal oscillations. This course will be of interest to mechanical engineering students, or those professionals in fluid mechanics or continuum mechanics. Start this course now and become an expert in the properties of soft matter today.