Wide beam equation. Consider a plate of length a and width b that bends in only one direction such that w(x,y) = f(x).

(a) Derive expressions for the bending moments, shear forces, and applied load in terms of the deflection function.

(b) Compare your solution to the equations of beam bending. For the same deflections, does Euler-Bernoulli beam theory or Kirchhoff-Love plate theory predict a stiffer structure? By what factor?