Deformation of Solids

Definitions:

• Stress: is a measure of the force required to cause a particular deformation.
• Strain: is a measure of the degree of deformation.
• Elastic Modulus: the ratio of stress to strain:

  $${\frac{{\:\rm stress}}{{\:\rm strain}}}$$ (1)

  The elastic modulus determines the amount of force required per unit deformation. A material with large elastic modulus is difficult to deform, while one with small elastic modulus is easier to deform.

The three types of deformation of solids with which we will concern ourselves are discussed in the following sections.