Stress, Strain and Young’s Modulus

Stress, Strain and Young’s Modulus

When a force is applied to the surfaces of a solid material, it develops a stress – a pattern of forces between the atoms in the solid. In response to a stress, the material develops a change of shape, or strain. When the stress is not too large, the strain is reversible (elastic). In this case, the relationship between stress and strain is linear: the stress is proportional to the strain.