Explain what is meant by tensile stress and tensile strain.

Tensile stress is the force exerted per unit cross-sectional area on an object.

Tensile strain is the extension per unit original length of an object.

PJ
Answered by Penelope J. Physics tutor

26876 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

I have an infinite number of glass blocks stacked side by side. The first block has refractive index n1, the second n2 and so on, such that n1<n2...<n(infinity). I shine a light on the stack, what angle does the ray make to the normal on the last block?


A car of mass 800 kg is accelerated horizontally by constant net force of 1920 N for 9 s. It then breaks for 2 s, but drives off a 5 m high cliff. If μ = 0.85, what is the total horizontal distance travelled by car and its velocity? Ignore air resistance.


A spacecraft called Deep Space 1, mass 486 kg, uses an “ion-drive” engine which expels 0.13 kg of xenon propellant each day at 30kms^-1. What is the initial increase in speed of the spacecraft


A basketball player throws his ball vertically upwards with an initial speed of v=40 m/s. Ignore air resistance. What is the speed of the ball at half of the maximum height?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning