BRAINCAKETensile Strain
Tensile strain ε is the extension of a sample divided by its original length: ε = x/L, where x is the extension and L is the original length.
Strain is a ratio of two lengths, so it has no units. It is sometimes given as a percentage by multiplying by 100.
Using strain rather than extension allows samples of different length to be compared. A long wire extends more than a short wire of the same material under the same stress, but the strain is the same.
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All 14 lessons in Materials · All OCR AS-level Physics topics