The engineering (average) stress can be calculated by dividing the applied

tensile force, P, (normal to the cross section) by the area of the original
cross sectional area A0 as follows,
av 
P
A0
(2.1)
The engineering (average) strain in the direction of the tensile load can be
found by dividing the change in length, L, of the inscribed rectangle by
the original length L0,
av 
dL
L L0 0
L


L
L0

L L0
L0
(2.2)
or
av 
L
L0
11 (2.3)
The term in the above equation is called the extension ratio and is sometimes
used for large deformations such as those which may occur with low
modulus rubbery polymers.
True stress and strain are calculated using the instantaneous (deformed
at a particular load) values of the cross-sectional area, A, and the length of
the rectangle, L,
t 
F
A
(2.4)
and
t 
dL
L
ln
L
LL 0 0
L

ln(1) (2.5)