How can I find out the Young's modulus of a material?

Right, so the Young's modulus of a material is a measure of it's rigidity. The higher the value of the Young's modulus, the more rigid the material is.Ok, so the Young's modulus, E, is equal to the stress that the material experiences divided by the strain experienced by the material.The stress, σ, of a material is equal to the force, F, applied to this material, divided by the area, A, upon which this force is applied. The equation for this is:σ = F/AOn the other hand, the strain, ε, of the material is equal to the extension of the material, e (how much the material has extended by having this force applied to it), divided by the original length, l, of the material. The equation for strain isε = e/lThe Young's modulus is equal to the stress divided by the strain, so:E= σ/ε = (F/A)/(e/l) = (FL)/(Ae)So, E = (Fl)/(Ae)For example, If a metal wire of original length 2cm

WS
Answered by William S. Physics tutor

6679 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

The mercury atoms in a fluorescent tube are excited and then emit photons in the ultraviolet region of the electromagnetic spectrum. Explain (i) how the mercury atoms become excited and (ii) how the excited atoms emit photons.


Explain the difference between the direction of the conventional current and the direction of electron flow.


How do I find the x and y components of a vector?


What is gravitational potential and how can gravitational potential energy be used to estimate the escape velocity of a planet of mass m and radius r?


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