Young's Modulus

Introduction:

Young's modulus is a measure of how difficult it is to compress a material, such as steel. It measures pressure and is typically computed in terms of pascals (Pa). It is most commonly used by physicists to determine strain, a measurement of how a material, responds to a pressure, such as being squeezed or stretched.

Steel in Young's Modulus:

Understanding that steel is extremely hard to compress is important in everyday life. For example, it can be used to construct buildings and not become compressed, ruining the integrity of the building structure. A cube of steel that is only 1 meter (3.28 ft) in width, height, and depth, would only compress about one micron

while supporting the weight of one school bus, because of the amount of pressure it can withstand. In comparison, a cube that is comprised of the same dimensions and is made of lead has a lower value for Young's modulus. The lead cube would compress 14 times more than the steel cube.