News > Crumple Theory: We Can Learn a Lot From How Paper Crumples

Crumple Theory: We Can Learn a Lot From How Paper Crumples

What does a sheet of paper being crushed into a ball and tossed into a wastebasket, the front end of a car deforming in a crash, and the Earth's crust gradually forming mountains over millions of years all have in common?

They're all undergoing a physical process called crumpling, which occurs when a relatively thin sheet of material, one with a thickness that's much less than its length or width has to fit into a smaller area.