Topic 10-1 Stress, Strain and Modulus of Elasticity

The mechanics of Elastic Materials

Useful for the analysis and design of the load bearing, such as:
1. Building
2. Bridges
3. Space shuttles
4. Prosthetics
5. Biological implants.
And also used to characterizes materials.
Definitions of terms:
STRESS : The force per unit areas, or intensity of the of the forces distributed over a given
section. (units= Pascal Pa. or Pounds per square inch (Psi)
õ = F/A
➢ Stress is how engineers normalize the force that is applied to a material to account for
the difference in geometry.
➢ Useful for predicting failure condition of the materials.
STRAIN : Deformation per unit length (units: none (unitless)
➢ Strain is how engineer normalize the deformation that a material to account for the
difference in geometry.
➢ Useful for determining how much a material can deform failure.
MODULUS OF ELASTICITY

➢ A representation of the stiffness of a material that behaves elastically (units:

Pascals [Pa] or pounds per square inch [psi].

E=õ/Ɛ

➢ What equation is this similar to?.

K=F/Δ
 ➢ Modulus of elasticity is how engineers characterize material behavior.

➢ Useful for knowing how materials behave, material selection for device design, and
calculating the stress in a material since it is easier to measure deformation than it is to
determine the exact force on a material.

In engineering, the elasticity of a material is quantified by the elastic modulus such as

Young’s modulus, bulk modulus, or shear modulus which measures the amount of stress
needed to achieve a unit of strain; a higher modulus indicates that the material is harder
to deform.

Example: No. 1 Problem . This rod is exposed to a tensile force of 20 N. What is the stress (õ ) in the
rod?

Figure 1.
 σ =F/A F = 20 N

(given) A = 0.5 m * 0.5 m = 0.25 m2

σ = 20 N / 0.25 m

σ = 80 Pa

Example No. 2 Problem: The rod below is exposed to a tensile force of 20 N and elongates by 0.03 m.
Calculate the strain. Same Figure 1 (but) calculate the strain, (Ɛ)

ε = ΔL/L ΔL = 0.03 m (given)

L=3m

ε = 0.03 m / 3 m

ε = 0.01

Example No. 3 Problem: (Using the same Figure 1) The rod is exposed to a tensile force of 20 N and
elongates by 0.03 m. Calculate the modulus of elasticity.

E = σ/ε σ = 80 Pa (from first example)

ε = 0.01 (from second example)

E = 80 Pa / 0.01 E = 8000 Pa or 8 kPa