Strength

(strength.) (Mech.) Force or power.-S. of Animals, the muscular force or energy which they are capable of exerting. The experiments made on this subject, by different persons, have given very different results; which is to be expected, since animal strength is liable to variations, from a great number of circumstances. The force which an animal is able to exert against an obstacle is greatest when the animal is still; when it is in motion, some of its force is employed to produce this motion. There is a velocity at which it can carry no load, and another at which it can do the maximum quantity of work. The same animal will exert very different amounts of force, with different kinds of work. S. of Materials, is the force with which abo dy resists an effort to separate its particles. The S. of a body may be exerted in four ways: in resisting a force tending to tear it asunder; in resisting a force tending to break it acro ; in resisting compre ion or crushing; and in resisting a force tending to wrench it asunder by torsion. [s. 860]