When a body experiences a [[Force|force]] it is usually not in the form of a point load, rather the load is distributed across and [[Area|area]] of the object. For instance, the weight of a non-symmetric object is not distributed evenly across its area due to the non-symmetric distribution of mass. Fortunately, for the purpose of static analysis, distributed loads can be expressed as a mathematically [[Equivalent Point Load|equivalent point load]], simplifying the solution process. ![[distributed.png|center]]