Elastic modulus

From WikiMD's Wellness Encyclopedia

Elastic modulus or Young's modulus is a fundamental property of materials that quantifies the relationship between stress (force per unit area) and strain (proportional deformation) in a material. It is a measure of a substance's ability to withstand changes in length when under lengthwise tension or compression.

Overview[edit | edit source]

The elastic modulus is a constant for any given material, meaning it does not change regardless of the amount of stress applied. It is a measure of the stiffness of a material, with a higher modulus indicating a stiffer material. The elastic modulus is typically measured in pascals (Pa), which are units of pressure.

Calculation[edit | edit source]

The elastic modulus is calculated by dividing the stress (force per unit area) by the strain (the change in length divided by the original length). This gives a value with units of pressure (pascals in the SI system).

Types of Elastic Modulus[edit | edit source]

There are several types of elastic modulus, including:

  • Young's modulus - measures the resistance of a material to elastic (recoverable) deformation under load. A stiff material has a high Young's modulus and changes its shape only slightly under elastic loads (e.g., diamond).
  • Shear modulus - measures the material's response to shear stress (like those experienced by a beam when it is used to support a weight).
  • Bulk modulus - measures a substance's resistance to uniform compression. It is defined as the ratio of the infinitesimal pressure increase to the resulting relative decrease of the volume.

Applications[edit | edit source]

The elastic modulus is used in a wide range of applications, including materials science, engineering, and physics. It is used to predict how much a material will deform under a given amount of stress, which can be useful in designing structures and materials.

See Also[edit | edit source]

References[edit | edit source]


Elastic modulus Resources
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Contributors: Prab R. Tumpati, MD