Soft Matter Mechanics: Fundamentals & Applications

We cover fundamental aspects of the mechanics of soft matter and see how they provide useful insights about novel engineering designs and materials (3D printing, soft robotics, metamaterials). Particular attention is given to interfacial effects, which dominate the physics of small objects. Topics include, drops, bubbles, wetting, coatings, instabilities. We also cover the mechanics of thin elastic objects whose deformability characterizes many biological systems. Students learn how to build quantitative physical models, combining experimental observations, scaling analysis and formal approaches.