Experiment to Measure the Young Modulus

Edexcel AS-level PhysicsSolid MaterialsLesson 8 of 14

The length and diameter of a wire about 1 metre long are measured.

The diameter is measured at 10 different places with a micrometer screw gauge and the mean diameter is calculated.

This is used to calculate the cross-sectional area of the wire using A = π(d/2)².

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stress: The force applied to a material per unit cross-sectional area, measured in pascals.
strain: The ratio of the extension of a material to its original length; it has no units.
young modulus: The ratio of stress to strain for a material undergoing elastic deformation, a measure of its stiffness.