material collapsing

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "material collapsing" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it in contexts related to physics, engineering, or discussions about structural integrity. For example: "The engineers were concerned about the material collapsing under the weight." Alternative expressions include "substance failing" and "matter crumbling."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

News & Media

Academia

Wiki

Encyclopedias

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

2 human-written examples

A "surface collapse feature", also known as a subsidence crater, was formed by material collapsing into the cavity formed by the explosion.

Wikipedia

This change in shape results from the flexibility of the polymer/protein shell material collapsing onto itself since there is no longer a rigid PS core to maintain the original spherical structure.

ACS Nano

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

58 human-written examples

Recently at a mine in Southwestern Pennsylvania, roof material collapsed above shields that created two large voids and caused major challenges for shield recovery.

International Journal of Mining Science and Technology

But the gas-giant exoplanets that have so far been discovered by direct imaging are hot, hinting that they formed much faster as material collapsed rapidly to make a very hot planet, a so-called "hot-start" scenario.

University of California, Berkeley

The material collapses upon itself, forming a fast-moving pyroclastic flow (known as a block-and-ash flow) that moves down the side of the mountain at tremendous speeds, often over 150 km per hour.

Wikipedia

At lower temperatures the polymeric material is in a highly hydrated state, but when transitioning to temperatures above the LCST, water moves into bulk solution and the polymeric material collapses onto itself forming hydrophobic interactions.

ACS Biomaterial Science and Engineering

Apparently the fluid was derived from subsurface reservoirs, and the overlying materials collapsed as fluid was released.

Britannica

The pore structures of these materials collapsed on calcination at 500°C, but were stable on calcination at 500°C after treatment with phosphoric acid [23].

Nanoscale Research Letters

This feature enables us to give physically reasonable interpretations for size effects and shear banding during material collapse.

International Journal of Solids and Structures

The fundamentalism of the policies being pushed by the Tories, and echoed in police tactics, is rooted in desperation of the material collapse of global capitalism – and the scope of reform runs much further than the darkest years of Thatcherism.

The Guardian - Opinion

A pair of neutron stars can orbit each other for a billion years before colliding, and then, Berger said, "several exciting things happen very quickly". Most of the material collapses to form a black hole.

The Washington Post

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Ensure the noun 'material' is the clear subject of the action to avoid ambiguity in complex technical sentences.

Common error

Avoid using 'materiel' when you mean physical substance. 'Materiel' refers specifically to military equipment and supplies, which rarely 'collapses' in a literal physical sense.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "material collapsing" functions as a noun-participle construction. In the examples provided by Ludwig, it is frequently used as a reduced relative clause (e.g., 'material [that is] collapsing') or as a gerund phrase describing a physical phenomenon.

Expression frequency: Rare

Frequent in

Science

55%

News & Media

20%

Academia

15%

Less common in

Wiki

5%

Encyclopedias

3%

Formal & Business

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

The phrase "material collapsing" is a robust and grammatically correct expression primarily found in scientific and technical writing. According to Ludwig, its use is prevalent in fields like astrophysics (star formation), geology (sinkholes), and materials science (polymer failure). While the exact phrase in its present participle form appears less frequently than its past tense counterpart ('material collapsed'), it remains a vital descriptor for ongoing physical processes. Writers should use it when the emphasis is on the dynamic action of a substance losing its structural integrity. Alternatives like "<a href="/s/structural+failure" target="_blank" rel="alternative">structural failure" may be more appropriate for architectural contexts, but for raw substances, "material collapsing" is the preferred terminology.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

structural collapse

Refers specifically to the falling down of a built or organized entity.

structural failure

Focuses on the loss of load-bearing capacity rather than the literal movement of matter.

matter imploding

Suggests a violent or rapid inward collapse, often used in physics or astronomy.

substance crumbling

Implies a gradual breaking into small pieces, often for brittle materials.

structural subsiding

Often used in geology to describe the gradual caving in or sinking of an area.

material breakdown

Broadly describes the decomposition or failure of a material's integrity.

physical disintegration

Emphasizes the process of a whole breaking into its constituent parts.

material yielding

An engineering term for a material beginning to deform under stress.

matter condensing

Used in scientific contexts to describe material becoming more dense, often leading to collapse.

mass contracting

Describes the reduction in volume, which can precede a total collapse.

FAQs

How do I use "material collapsing" in a sentence?

You can use it to describe an active process, such as: "The engineers observed the "material collapsing" under the immense pressure of the load."

What can I say instead of "material collapsing"?

Depending on the context, you might use "<a href="/s/structural+failure" target="_blank" rel="alternative">structural failure", "<a href="/s/matter+imploding" target="_blank" rel="alternative">matter imploding", or "<a href="/s/substance+crumbling" target="_blank" rel="alternative">substance crumbling".

Is "material collapsing" grammatically correct?

Yes, it is a standard English phrase consisting of a noun followed by a present participle acting as an adjective or part of a progressive verb structure. Ludwig AI confirms it is correct and usable.

What's the difference between "material collapsing" and "structural collapse"?

While "material collapsing" often refers to the substance itself (like sand or gas), "<a href="/s/structural+collapse" target="_blank" rel="alternative">structural collapse" typically refers to the failure of an entire organized system, like a building or bridge.