modulus of elasticity
- any of several coefficients of elasticity of a body, expressing the ratio between a stress or force per unit area that acts to deform the body and the corresponding fractional deformation caused by the stress.
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Origin of modulus of elasticity
First recorded in 1800–10
Also called coefficient of elasticity, elastic modulus.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
modulus of elasticity
- the ratio of the stress applied to a body or substance to the resulting strain within the elastic limitAlso called: elastic modulus See also Young's modulus, bulk modulus, modulus of rigidity
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Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
modulus of elasticity
- The ratio of the stress applied to a body to the strain that results in the body in response to it. The modulus of elasticity of a material is a measure of its stiffness and for most materials remains constant over a range of stress.♦ The ratio of the longitudinal strain to the longitudinal stress is called Young's modulus.♦ The ratio of the stress on the body to the body's fractional decrease in volume is the bulk modulus.♦ The ratio of the tangential force per unit area to the angular deformation in radians is the shear modulus. See also Hooke's law.
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The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
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