Properties Engineering Materials 3

Properties Engineering Materials
Elastic modulus, also known as Young's modulus, is a fundamental property of materials that measures
their stiffness or resistance to elastic deformation under stress. This property is essential in engineering
and materials science, as it determines a material's ability to support loads and maintain its shape.
Elastic modulus is expressed as a force per unit area with units of pascals (Pa) or pounds per square inch
(psi). Elastic modulus is determined by calculating the slope of the elastic portion of the stress-strain
curve. The elastic modulus, differs for different materials. Stiffer materials have a higher elastic modulus.
Elastic modulus can be defined as a material’s ability to resist elastic deformation when stress is applied
to it. It is a measure of a material’s rigidity or stiffness. The modulus of elasticity, in terms of the stress-
strain curve, is the slope of the stress-strain curve in the region of elastic
behavior, where stress is linearly proportional to strain. Other names for elastic modulus include Young's
modulus, modulus of elasticity, modulus of elasticity in tension, or tensile modulus. For more
information, see our guide on Flexular Modulus.
Modulus of Elasticity
Before we understand what the Modulus of Elasticity is, first, we need to

know elastic constants. Why do we need elastic constants? What are the
types, and where are they all used? So let’s begin.
Elastic Constants
Elastic constants are those constants which determine the deformation

produced by a given stress system acting on the material.
Elastic constants are used to determine engineering strain theoretically.
They are used to obtain a relationship between engineering stress and

engineering strain.
For a homogeneous and isotropic material, the number of elastic constants is

4.
Types of Elastic Constants
Young’s modulus or modulus of elasticity (E)
Shear modulus or modulus of rigidity (G)
Bulk modulus (K)
Poisson’s ratio (µ)

In this article, we will discuss only the first type, that is, Young’s modulus or
modulus of elasticity (E).
Relationship between Elastic Constants

E = 2G (1+ µ)
E = 3 K (1-2µ)
–E = 9KG / G+3K
Hope you have understood the relation between Young’s modulus and bulk
modulus k and the modulus of rigid.
The value of any constant is always greater than or equal to 0. A negative

sign only shows the direction.
Definition of Modulus of Elasticity
As per Hooke’s law, up to the proportional limit, “for small deformation,

stress is directly proportional to strain.
Mathematically, Hooke’s Law is expressed as follows:
Stress α Strain
σ=Eε
In the formula mentioned above, “E” is termed as the modulus of elasticity.

σ is the stress, and ε denotes strain.
We can write the expression for the modulus of elasticity using the above
equation as,
E = (F*L) / (A * δL)
So, we can define the modulus of elasticity as the ratio of normal stress to
longitudinal strain.
Unit of Modulus of Elasticity
The unit of normal stress is Pascal, and longitudinal strain has no unit
because it is the ratio of change in length to the original length. So,
the unit of modulus of elasticity is the same as of stress, and it is
Pascal (Pa). Most commonly, we use Megapascals (MPa) and
Gigapascals (GPa) to measure the modulus of elasticity.
1 MPa = Pa
1 GPa = Pa
How to Measure Young’s Modulus or Modulus of Elasticity?
Let us take a rod of a ductile material that is mild steel. Now, do a tension test on the Universal testing
machine. After the tension test, when we plot the stress-strain diagram, we get a curve like the one
below.
From the curve, we see that from point O to B, the region is an elastic region. After that, the plastic
deformation starts. Point A in the curve shows the limit of proportionality. For this curve, we can write
the value of the modulus of elasticity (E) is equal to the slope of the stress-strain curve up to A.
If the value of E increases, then longitudinal strain decreases, which means a change in length decreases.
Here are some values of E for the most commonly used materials.
Mild steel- E = 200 GPa

Cast iron E = 100 GPa
Aluminium E = 200/3 GPa

Properties Engineering Materials 3

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Properties Engineering Materials

Before we understand what the Modulus of Elasticity is, first, we need to

Elastic constants are those constants which determine the deformation

Elastic constants are used to determine engineering strain theoretically.

They are used to obtain a relationship between engineering stress and

For a homogeneous and isotropic material, the number of elastic constants is

Types of Elastic Constants

Young’s modulus or modulus of elasticity (E)

Shear modulus or modulus of rigidity (G)

Bulk modulus (K)

Poisson’s ratio (µ)

Relationship between Elastic Constants

The value of any constant is always greater than or equal to 0. A negative

Definition of Modulus of Elasticity

As per Hooke’s law, up to the proportional limit, “for small deformation,

Mathematically, Hooke’s Law is expressed as follows:

In the formula mentioned above, “E” is termed as the modulus of elasticity.

Unit of Modulus of Elasticity

Mild steel- E = 200 GPa

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