Discuss and define Isotropy. Anisotropy and Orthotropy with regards to engineering materials. Regarding Finite Element Analysis: List the three main types of elements and explain how to choose elements? Common sources of errors in FEA? After conducting a photoelastic investigation of a sample, you remove the load and notice that a fringe pattern still exists. What could this mean? Solution (i) Isotropy is the property of the material in which the physical properties of a substance are independent of the direction of measurement. Glass and metals are examples of isotropic materials. Anisotropy is the property of the material in which the physical properties of a substance varies with the change in direction. Wood and Composites are examples of anisotropic materials. Orthotropy is the property of the material in which the physical properties of a substance change when measured from different directions. The properties differ along three mutually orthogonal twofold axes of rotational symmetry. Wood is an example of orthotropic materials. (ii) (a )The three main elements in FEA are -.