Elastic properties describe the reversible deformation ( elastic response) of a material to an applied stress. They are a subset of the

material properties A material property is an intensive property of a material, i.e., a physical property or chemical property that does not depend on the amount of the material. These quantitative properties may be used as a metric by which the benefits of one ma ...

that provide a quantitative description of the characteristics of a material, like its

strength Strength may refer to: Personal trait *Physical strength, as in people or animals *Character strengths like those listed in the Values in Action Inventory *The exercise of willpower Physics * Mechanical strength, the ability to withstand ...

. Material properties are most often characterized by a set of numerical parameters called moduli. The elastic properties can be well-characterized by the

Young's modulus Young's modulus (or the Young modulus) is a mechanical property of solid materials that measures the tensile or compressive stiffness when the force is applied lengthwise. It is the modulus of elasticity for tension or axial compression. Youn ...

Poisson's ratio In materials science and solid mechanics, Poisson's ratio (symbol: ( nu)) is a measure of the Poisson effect, the deformation (expansion or contraction) of a material in directions perpendicular to the specific direction of loading. The value ...

Bulk modulus The bulk modulus (K or B or k) of a substance is a measure of the resistance of a substance to bulk compression. It is defined as the ratio of the infinitesimal pressure increase to the resulting ''relative'' decrease of the volume. Other mo ...

, and

Shear modulus In materials science, shear modulus or modulus of rigidity, denoted by ''G'', or sometimes ''S'' or ''μ'', is a measure of the Elasticity (physics), elastic shear stiffness of a material and is defined as the ratio of shear stress to the shear s ...

or they may be described by the

Lamé parameters In continuum mechanics, Lamé parameters (also called the Lamé coefficients, Lamé constants or Lamé moduli) are two material-dependent quantities denoted by ''λ'' and ''μ'' that arise in strain- stress relationships. In general, ''λ'' an ...

Young's modulus

Poisson's ratio

Bulk modulus

Shear modulus

References

See also