Physics Symbols

There are physics symbols available with structural mechanics and some other physics features to help you to graphically indicate boundary conditions, loads and other physics features:

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Physics Symbols for Structural Mechanics and Other Physics

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About Coordinate Systems and Physics Symbols

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Displaying Physics Symbols in the Graphics Window — An Example

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Solid Mechanics and Using Load Cases

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The Graphics Window

Physics Symbols for Structural Mechanics and Other Physics

To display the physics symbols listed in Table 3-5, select the check box under in the main physics interface node’s Settings window. This check box is not selected by default. Then click the button, which displays all symbols in that physics interface by selecting all check boxes in the Settings windows for the physics features that include symbols.

The following symbols are available with the applicable structural mechanics feature nodes and with some other physics interfaces (this table is a partial list of available symbols).

Table 3-5: Physics Symbols
Symbol	Symbol Name	displayed by node	Notes
	Added Mass1	Added Mass
	Antisymmetry1	Antisymmetry
	Body Load1	Body Load
	3D Coordinate System		Green indicates the Y direction, blue indicates the Z direction, and red indicates the X direction.
	2D Coordinate System		Green indicates the Y direction and red indicates the X direction.
	Distributed Force	Boundary Load Face Load Edge Load	Can be displayed together with the Distributed Moment symbol, depending on the values given in the node.
	Damping1	Spring Foundation	Can be displayed together with the Spring symbol, depending on the values given in the node.
	Distributed Moment1	Boundary Load Face Load Edge Load	Can be displayed together with the Distributed Force symbol, depending on the values given in the node.
	Fixed Constraint	Fixed Constraint
	No Rotation1	No Rotation
	Pinned1	Pinned
	Point Force	Point Load	Can be displayed together with the Point Moment symbol, depending on the values given in the node.
	Point Mass1	Point Mass
	Point Moment1	Point Load	Can be displayed together with the Point Force symbol, depending on the values given in the node.
	Prescribed Displacement	Prescribed Displacement
	Prescribed Velocity1	Prescribed Velocity
	Prescribed Acceleration1	Prescribed Acceleration
	Rigid Connector1	Rigid Connector	A line is drawn to each connected boundary,
	Roller	Roller
	Spring1	Spring Foundation Thin Elastic Layer	Can be displayed together with the Damping symbol, depending on the values given in the node.
	Symmetry	Symmetry
	Thin-Film Damping2	Thin-Film Damping
1 Requires the Structural Mechanics Module 2 Requires the MEMS Module

About Coordinate Systems and Physics Symbols

Physics symbols connected to a node for which input can be given in different coordinate systems are shown together with a coordinate system symbol. This symbol is either a triad or a single arrow. The triad is shown if data are to be entered using vector components, as for a force. The single arrow is displayed when a scalar value, having an implied direction, is given. An example of the latter case is a pressure.

In both cases, the coordinate directions describe the direction in which a positive value acts. The coordinate direction symbols do not change with the values actually entered for the data.

Physics symbols are in most cases displayed even if no data values have been entered in the node.

In some cases, a single feature can display more than one symbol. An example is the Point Load node in the Beam interface, which can display either the Point Force symbol (

), the Point Moment symbol (

), or both, depending on the data entered. In those cases, no symbol is shown until nonzero data is entered.


	For cases when physics symbol display is dependent on values given in the node, it can be necessary to move to another node before the display is updated on the screen.

Displaying Physics Symbols in the Graphics Window — An Example

Add a physics interface, for example, , from the branch.

In the Solid Mechanics node’s Settings window, under , select the Enable physics symbols check box and then click the button.

Add any of the feature nodes listed in Table 3-5 to the physics interface. Availability is based on license and physics interface.


	The physics symbols also display for any multiphysics interface that includes Structural Mechanics feature nodes or other physics feature nodes with symbols.

When adding the boundary, edge, or point (a geometric entity) to the list in the feature window, the symbol displays in the window. See Figure 3-9 and Figure 3-10.

Figure 3-9: Example of Boundary Load physics symbols as displayed in the COMSOL Multiphysics model “Deformation of a Feeder Clamp”.

Figure 3-10: Example of Roller and Boundary Load physics symbols as displayed in the COMSOL Multiphysics model “Tapered Cantilever”.