0% found this document useful (0 votes)
227 views15 pages

12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 - OpenStax

The document discusses stress, strain, and elastic modulus in materials. It defines stress as force per unit area and strain as the fractional change in length or volume due to deformation. The relationship between stress and strain in the linear elastic region is described by Hooke's law, where stress equals elastic modulus times strain. The elastic modulus is a material property that indicates how much stress is required to produce unit strain. Materials with higher elastic moduli experience less strain under the same stress. Common elastic moduli values are provided for various materials.

Uploaded by

Adimasu Ayele
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
0% found this document useful (0 votes)
227 views15 pages

12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 - OpenStax

The document discusses stress, strain, and elastic modulus in materials. It defines stress as force per unit area and strain as the fractional change in length or volume due to deformation. The relationship between stress and strain in the linear elastic region is described by Hooke's law, where stress equals elastic modulus times strain. The elastic modulus is a material property that indicates how much stress is required to produce unit strain. Materials with higher elastic moduli experience less strain under the same stress. Common elastic moduli values are provided for various materials.

Uploaded by

Adimasu Ayele
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 15

9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.

3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Learning Objectives
By the end of this section, you will be able to:

Explain the concepts of stress and strain in describing elastic deformations of materials
Describe the types of elastic deformation of objects and materials

A model of a rigid body is an idealized example of an object that does not deform under the
actions of external forces. It is very useful when analyzing mechanical systems—and many
physical objects are indeed rigid to a great extent. The extent to which an object can be
perceived as rigid depends on the physical properties of the material from which it is made.
For example, a ping-pong ball made of plastic is brittle, and a tennis ball made of rubber is
elastic when acted upon by squashing forces. However, under other circumstances, both a
ping-pong ball and a tennis ball may bounce well as rigid bodies. Similarly, someone who
designs prosthetic limbs may be able to approximate the mechanics of human limbs by
modeling them as rigid bodies; however, the actual combination of bones and tissues is an
elastic medium.

For the remainder of this chapter, we move from consideration of forces that affect the motion
of an object to those that affect an object’s shape. A change in shape due to the application of
a force is known as a deformation. Even very small forces are known to cause some
deformation. Deformation is experienced by objects or physical media under the action of
external forces—for example, this may be squashing, squeezing, ripping, twisting, shearing, or
pulling the objects apart. In the language of physics, two terms describe the forces on objects
undergoing deformation: stress and strain.

Stress is a quantity that describes the magnitude of forces that cause deformation. Stress is
generally defined as force per unit area. When forces pull on an object and cause its
elongation, like the stretching of an elastic band, we call such stress a tensile stress. When
forces cause a compression of an object, we call it a compressive stress. When an object is
being squeezed from all sides, like a submarine in the depths of an ocean, we call this kind of
stress a bulk stress (or volume stress). In other situations, the acting forces may be neither
tensile nor compressive, and still produce a noticeable deformation. For example, suppose
you hold a book tightly between the palms of your hands, then with one hand you press-and-
pull on the front cover away from you, while with the other hand you press-and-pull on the
back cover toward you. In such a case, when deforming forces act tangentially to the object’s
surface, we call them ‘shear’ forces and the stress they cause is called shear stress.

The SI unit of stress is the pascal (Pa). When one newton of force presses on a unit surface
area of one meter squared, the resulting stress is one pascal:

1.0 N
one pascal = 1.0 Pa = .
2
1.0 m

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 1/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

In the Imperial system of units, the unit of stress is ‘psi,’ which stands for ‘pound per square
inch’ (lb/in Another unit that is often used for bulk stress is the atm (atmosphere).
2
).

Conversion factors are


−4
1 psi = 6895 Pa and 1 Pa = 1.450 × 10 psi

5
1 atm = 1.013 × 10 Pa = 14.7 psi.

An object or medium under stress becomes deformed. The quantity that describes this
deformation is called strain. Strain is given as a fractional change in either length (under
tensile stress) or volume (under bulk stress) or geometry (under shear stress). Therefore, strain
is a dimensionless number. Strain under a tensile stress is called tensile strain, strain under
bulk stress is called bulk strain (or volume strain), and that caused by shear stress is called
shear strain.

The greater the stress, the greater the strain; however, the relation between strain and stress
does not need to be linear. Only when stress is sufficiently low is the deformation it causes in
direct proportion to the stress value. The proportionality constant in this relation is called the
elastic modulus. In the linear limit of low stress values, the general relation between stress
and strain is

stress = (elastic modulus) × strain. 12.33

As we can see from dimensional analysis of this relation, the elastic modulus has the same
physical unit as stress because strain is dimensionless.

We can also see from Equation 12.33 that when an object is characterized by a large value of
elastic modulus, the effect of stress is small. On the other hand, a small elastic modulus
means that stress produces large strain and noticeable deformation. For example, a stress on
a rubber band produces larger strain (deformation) than the same stress on a steel band of the
same dimensions because the elastic modulus for rubber is two orders of magnitude smaller
than the elastic modulus for steel.

The elastic modulus for tensile stress is called Young’s modulus; that for the bulk stress is
called the bulk modulus; and that for shear stress is called the shear modulus. Note that the
relation between stress and strain is an observed relation, measured in the laboratory. Elastic
moduli for various materials are measured under various physical conditions, such as varying
temperature, and collected in engineering data tables for reference (Table 12.1). These tables
are valuable references for industry and for anyone involved in engineering or construction. In
the next section, we discuss strain-stress relations beyond the linear limit represented by

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 2/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Equation 12.33, in the full range of stress values up to a fracture point. In the remainder of this
section, we study the linear limit expressed by Equation 12.33.

Material Young’s modulus


Bulk modulus
Shear modulus

10 10 10
× 10 Pa × 10 Pa × 10 Pa

Aluminum 7.0 7.5 2.5

Bone (tension) 1.6 0.8 8.0

Bone (compression) 0.9

Brass 9.0 6.0 3.5

Brick 1.5

Concrete 2.0

Copper 11.0 14.0 4.4

Crown glass 6.0 5.0 2.5

Granite 4.5 4.5 2.0

Hair (human) 1.0

Hardwood 1.5 1.0

Iron 21.0 16.0 7.7

Lead 1.6 4.1 0.6

Marble 6.0 7.0 2.0

Nickel 21.0 17.0 7.8

Polystyrene 3.0

Silk 6.0

Spider thread 3.0

Steel 20.0 16.0 7.5

Acetone 0.07

Ethanol 0.09

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 3/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Material Young’s modulus


Bulk modulus
Shear modulus

10 10 10
× 10 Pa × 10 Pa × 10 Pa

Glycerin 0.45

Mercury 2.5

Water 0.22

Table
12.1
Approximate Elastic Moduli for Selected Materials

Tensile or Compressive Stress, Strain, and Young’s


Modulus
Tension or compression occurs when two antiparallel forces of equal magnitude act on an
object along only one of its dimensions, in such a way that the object does not move. One
way to envision such a situation is illustrated in Figure 12.18. A rod segment is either stretched
or squeezed by a pair of forces acting along its length and perpendicular to its cross-section.
The net effect of such forces is that the rod changes its length from the original length L0 that
it had before the forces appeared, to a new length L that it has under the action of the forces.
This change in length ΔL = L − L0 may be either elongation (when L is larger than the
original length L0 ) or contraction (when L is smaller than the original length L0 ). Tensile
stress and strain occur when the forces are stretching an object, causing its elongation, and
the length change ΔL is positive. Compressive stress and strain occur when the forces are
contracting an object, causing its shortening, and the length change ΔL is negative.

In either of these situations, we define stress as the ratio of the deforming force F⊥ to the
cross-sectional area A of the object being deformed. The symbol F⊥ that we reserve for the
deforming force means that this force acts perpendicularly to the cross-section of the object.
Forces that act parallel to the cross-section do not change the length of an object. The
definition of the tensile stress is

F⊥
tensile stress = . 12.34
A

Tensile strain is the measure of the deformation of an object under tensile stress and is defined
as the fractional change of the object’s length when the object experiences tensile stress

ΔL
tensile strain = . 12.35
L0

Compressive stress and strain are defined by the same formulas, Equation 12.34 and Equation
12.35, respectively. The only difference from the tensile situation is that for compressive stress

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 4/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

and strain, we take absolute values of the right-hand sides in Equation 12.34 and Equation
12.35.

Figure 12.18
When an object is in either tension or compression, the
net force on it is zero, but the object deforms by changing its original
length L0 . (a) Tension: The rod is elongated by ΔL. (b) Compression:
The rod is contracted by ΔL. In both cases, the deforming force acts
along the length of the rod and perpendicular to its cross-section. In
the linear range of low stress, the cross-sectional area of the rod does
not change.

Young’s modulus Y is the elastic modulus when deformation is caused by either tensile or
compressive stress, and is defined by Equation 12.33. Dividing this equation by tensile strain,
we obtain the expression for Young’s modulus:

tensile stress F⊥ / A F⊥ L0
Y = = = . 12.36
tensile strain ΔL / L0 A ΔL

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 5/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

EXAMPLE 12.7

Compressive Stress in a Pillar


A sculpture weighing 10,000 N rests on a horizontal surface at the top of a 6.0-m-tall
vertical pillar Figure 12.19. The pillar’s cross-sectional area is 0.20 m2 and it is made
of granite with a mass density of 2700 kg/m . Find the compressive stress at the
3

cross-section located 3.0 m below the top of the pillar and the value of the
compressive strain of the top 3.0-m segment of the pillar.

Figure 12.19
Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square, London,
England. (credit: modification of work by Cristian Bortes)

Strategy
First we find the weight of the 3.0-m-long top section of the pillar. The normal force
that acts on the cross-section located 3.0 m down from the top is the sum of the
pillar’s weight and the sculpture’s weight. Once we have the normal force, we use
https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 6/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Equation 12.34 to find the stress. To find the compressive strain, we find the value of
Young’s modulus for granite in Table 12.1 and invert Equation 12.36.

Solution
The volume of the pillar segment with height h = 3.0 m and cross-sectional area
A = 0.20 m is
2

2 3
V = Ah = (0.20 m )(3.0 m) = 0.60 m .

With the density of granite ρ the mass of the pillar segment is


3 3
= 2.7 × 10 kg/m ,

3 3 3 3
m = ρV = (2.7 × 10 kg/m )(0.60 m ) = 1.60 × 10 kg.

The weight of the pillar segment is

3 2 4
w p = mg = (1.60 × 10 kg)(9.80 m/s ) = 1.568 × 10 N.

The weight of the sculpture is ws = 1.0 × 104 N, so the normal force on the cross-
sectional surface located 3.0 m below the sculpture is
4 4
F⊥ = w p + w s = (1.568 + 1.0) × 10 N = 2.568 × 10 N.

Therefore, the stress is


4
F⊥ 2.568 × 10 N
5
stress = = = 1.284 × 10 Pa = 128.4 kPa.
2
A 0.20 m

Young’s modulus for granite is Y = 4.5 × 10


10
Pa = 4.5 × 10 kPa.
7
Therefore,
the compressive strain at this position is

stress 128.4 kPa


−6
strain = = = 2.85 × 10 .
7
Y 4.5 × 10 kPa

Significance
Notice that the normal force acting on the cross-sectional area of the pillar is not
constant along its length, but varies from its smallest value at the top to its largest
value at the bottom of the pillar. Thus, if the pillar has a uniform cross-sectional area
along its length, the stress is largest at its base.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 12.9

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 7/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Find the compressive stress and strain at the base of Nelson’s column.

EXAMPLE 12.8

Stretching a Rod
A 2.0-m-long steel rod has a cross-sectional area of 0.30 cm 2 . The rod is a part of a
vertical support that holds a heavy 550-kg platform that hangs attached to the rod’s
lower end. Ignoring the weight of the rod, what is the tensile stress in the rod and the
elongation of the rod under the stress?

Strategy
First we compute the tensile stress in the rod under the weight of the platform in
accordance with Equation 12.34. Then we invert Equation 12.36 to find the rod’s
elongation, using L0 = 2.0 m. From Table 12.1, Young’s modulus for steel is
11
Y = 2.0 × 10 Pa.

Solution
Substituting numerical values into the equations gives us
2
F⊥ (550 kg)(9.8 m/s ) 8
= = 1.8 × 10 Pa
−5 2
A 3.0 × 10 m

F⊥ L0 8 2.0 m −3
ΔL = = (1.8 × 10 Pa) = 1.8 × 10 m = 1.8 mm.
Y 11
A 2.0 × 10 Pa

Significance
Similarly as in the example with the column, the tensile stress in this example is not
uniform along the length of the rod. Unlike in the previous example, however, if the
weight of the rod is taken into consideration, the stress in the rod is largest at the top
and smallest at the bottom of the rod where the equipment is attached.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 12.10

A 2.0-m-long wire stretches 1.0 mm when subjected to a load. What is the


tensile strain in the wire?

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 8/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Objects can often experience both compressive stress and tensile stress simultaneously
Figure 12.20. One example is a long shelf loaded with heavy books that sags between the end
supports under the weight of the books. The top surface of the shelf is in compressive stress
and the bottom surface of the shelf is in tensile stress. Similarly, long and heavy beams sag
under their own weight. In modern building construction, such bending strains can be almost
eliminated with the use of I-beams Figure 12.21.

Figure 12.20
(a) An object bending downward experiences tensile stress (stretching) in the upper section and compressive
stress (compressing) in the lower section. (b) Elite weightlifters often bend iron bars temporarily during lifting, as in the 2012
Olympics competition. (credit b: modification of work by Oleksandr Kocherzhenko)

Figure 12.21
Steel I-beams are used in construction to reduce bending strains. (credit:
modification of work by “US Army Corps of Engineers Europe District”/Flickr)

INTERACTIVE

A heavy box rests on a table supported by three columns. View this demonstration to
move the box to see how the compression (or tension) in the columns is affected
when the box changes its position.
https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 9/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Bulk Stress, Strain, and Modulus


When you dive into water, you feel a force pressing on every part of your body from all
directions. What you are experiencing then is bulk stress, or in other words, pressure. Bulk
stress always tends to decrease the volume enclosed by the surface of a submerged object.
The forces of this “squeezing” are always perpendicular to the submerged surface Figure
12.22. The effect of these forces is to decrease the volume of the submerged object by an
amount ΔV compared with the volume V0 of the object in the absence of bulk stress. This
kind of deformation is called bulk strain and is described by a change in volume relative to the
original volume:

ΔV
bulk strain = . 12.37
V0

Figure 12.22
An object under increasing bulk stress always
undergoes a decrease in its volume. Equal forces perpendicular to
the surface act from all directions. The effect of these forces is to
decrease the volume by the amount ΔV compared to the original
volume, V0 .

The bulk strain results from the bulk stress, which is a force F⊥ normal to a surface that
presses on the unit surface area A of a submerged object. This kind of physical quantity, or
pressure p, is defined as

F⊥
pressure = p ≡ . 12.38
A

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 10/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

We will study pressure in fluids in greater detail in Fluid Mechanics. An important characteristic
of pressure is that it is a scalar quantity and does not have any particular direction; that is,
pressure acts equally in all possible directions. When you submerge your hand in water, you
sense the same amount of pressure acting on the top surface of your hand as on the bottom
surface, or on the side surface, or on the surface of the skin between your fingers. What you
are perceiving in this case is an increase in pressure Δp over what you are used to feeling
when your hand is not submerged in water. What you feel when your hand is not submerged in
the water is the normal pressure p0 of one atmosphere, which serves as a reference point.
The bulk stress is this increase in pressure, or Δp, over the normal level, p0 .

When the bulk stress increases, the bulk strain increases in response, in accordance with
Equation 12.33. The proportionality constant in this relation is called the bulk modulus, B, or

bulk stress Δp V0
B = = − = −Δp . 12.39
bulk strain ΔV / V0 ΔV

The minus sign that appears in Equation 12.39 is for consistency, to ensure that B is a positive
quantity. Note that the minus sign (– ) is necessary because an increase Δp in pressure (a
positive quantity) always causes a decrease ΔV in volume, and decrease in volume is a
negative quantity. The reciprocal of the bulk modulus is called compressibility k, or

1 ΔV / V0
k = = − . 12.40
B Δp

The term ‘compressibility’ is used in relation to fluids (gases and liquids). Compressibility
describes the change in the volume of a fluid per unit increase in pressure. Fluids
characterized by a large compressibility are relatively easy to compress. For example, the
compressibility of water is 4.64 × 10−5 /atm and the compressibility of acetone is
/atm. This means that under a 1.0-atm increase in pressure, the relative
−4
1.45 × 10

decrease in volume is approximately three times as large for acetone as it is for water.

EXAMPLE 12.9

Hydraulic Press
In a hydraulic press Figure 12.23, a 250-liter volume of oil is subjected to a 2300-psi
pressure increase. If the compressibility of oil is 2.0 × 10−5 / atm, find the bulk
strain and the absolute decrease in the volume of oil when the press is operating.

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 11/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Figure 12.23
In a hydraulic press, when a small piston is displaced downward, the
pressure in the oil is transmitted throughout the oil to the large piston, causing the
large piston to move upward. A small force applied to a small piston causes a large
pressing force, which the large piston exerts on an object that is either lifted or
squeezed. The device acts as a mechanical lever.

Strategy
We must invert Equation 12.40 to find the bulk strain. First, we convert the pressure
increase from psi to atm, Δp = 2300 psi = 2300 / 14.7 atm ≈ 160 atm, and
identify V0 = 250 L.

Solution
Substituting values into the equation, we have

ΔV Δp −5
bulk strain = = = kΔp = (2.0 × 10 /atm)(160 atm) = 0.0032
V0 B

answer: ΔV = 0.0032 V0 = 0.0032(250 L) = 0.78 L.

Significance
Notice that since the compressibility of water is 2.32 times larger than that of oil, if
the working substance in the hydraulic press of this problem were changed to water,
the bulk strain as well as the volume change would be 2.32 times larger.

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 12/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 12.11

If the normal force acting on each face of a cubical 1.0-m3 piece of steel is
changed by 1.0 × 107 N, find the resulting change in the volume of the piece of
steel.

Shear Stress, Strain, and Modulus


The concepts of shear stress and strain concern only solid objects or materials. Buildings and
tectonic plates are examples of objects that may be subjected to shear stresses. In general,
these concepts do not apply to fluids.

Shear deformation occurs when two antiparallel forces of equal magnitude are applied
tangentially to opposite surfaces of a solid object, causing no deformation in the transverse
direction to the line of force, as in the typical example of shear stress illustrated in Figure
12.24. Shear deformation is characterized by a gradual shift Δx of layers in the direction
tangent to the acting forces. This gradation in Δx occurs in the transverse direction along
some distance L0 . Shear strain is defined by the ratio of the largest displacement Δx to the
transverse distance L0

Δx
shear strain = . 12.41
L0

Shear strain is caused by shear stress. Shear stress is due to forces that act parallel to the
surface. We use the symbol F∥ for such forces. The magnitude F∥ per surface area A where
shearing force is applied is the measure of shear stress

F∥
shear stress = . 12.42
A

The shear modulus is the proportionality constant in Equation 12.33 and is defined by the ratio
of stress to strain. Shear modulus is commonly denoted by S:

shear stress F∥ / A F∥ L0
S = = = . 12.43
shear strain Δx / L0 A Δx

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 13/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Figure 12.24
An object under shear stress: Two antiparallel forces of equal
magnitude are applied tangentially to opposite parallel surfaces of the object. The
dashed-line contour depicts the resulting deformation. There is no change in the
direction transverse to the acting forces and the transverse length L0 is unaffected.
Shear deformation is characterized by a gradual shift Δx of layers in the direction
tangent to the forces.

EXAMPLE 12.10

An Old Bookshelf
A cleaning person tries to move a heavy, old bookcase on a carpeted floor by
pushing tangentially on the surface of the very top shelf. However, the only noticeable
effect of this effort is similar to that seen in Figure 12.24, and it disappears when the
person stops pushing. The bookcase is 180.0 cm tall and 90.0 cm wide with four
30.0-cm-deep shelves, all partially loaded with books. The total weight of the
bookcase and books is 600.0 N. If the person gives the top shelf a 50.0-N push that
displaces the top shelf horizontally by 15.0 cm relative to the motionless bottom
shelf, find the shear modulus of the bookcase.

Strategy
The only pieces of relevant information are the physical dimensions of the bookcase,
the value of the tangential force, and the displacement this force causes. We identify
F∥ = 50.0 N, Δx = 15.0 cm, L0 = 180.0 cm, and

A = (30.0 cm) (90.0 cm) = 2700.0 cm ,


2
and we use Equation 12.43 to compute
the shear modulus.

Solution

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 14/15
9/21/21, 4:07 PM 12.3 Stress, Strain, and Elastic Modulus - University Physics Volume 1 | OpenStax

Substituting numbers into the equations, we obtain for the shear modulus

F∥ L0 50.0 N 180.0 cm. 2 N 2 N 20


4 3
S = = = = × 10 = × 10 P
2 2 2
A Δx 2700.0 cm 15.0 cm. 9 cm 9 m 9

We can also find shear stress and strain, respectively:

F∥
50.0 N 5
= = kPa = 185.2 Pa
2 27
A 2700.0 cm

Δx 15.0 cm 1
= = = 0.083.
L0 180.0 cm 12

Significance
If the person in this example gave the shelf a healthy push, it might happen that the
induced shear would collapse it to a pile of rubbish. Much the same shear
mechanism is responsible for failures of earth-filled dams and levees; and, in general,
for landslides.

CHECK YOUR UNDERSTANDING 12.12

Explain why the concepts of Young’s modulus and shear modulus do not apply
to fluids.

https://openstax.org/books/university-physics-volume-1/pages/12-3-stress-strain-and-elastic-modulus 15/15

You might also like