An engineering student found that the Youngs modulus of an alloy was 2.8 x 10^11 Pa. The 1.5m wire of the allow increased in length by 0.24% during an experiment. Calculate the stress on the wire.

The Youngs modulus of a material is = Stress / Strain. Therefore, the stress of an object is the strain multiplied by the Youngs modulus. We know that strain is the change in length (or extension) divided by the original length.  Which in this case, is  (1.5 * 1.0024 )m  /  1.5m - notice the units cancel. Multiplying this by 2.8x 10^11Pa (YM) will give us a stress of 6.7 x 10^8 Pa. Notes: 0.0024 is 0.24% written as a decimal, so an increase in 0.24% is 1.0024 multiplied by the original length.

DT
Answered by David T. Physics tutor

4099 Views

See similar Physics A Level tutors

Related Physics A Level answers

All answers ▸

Why is 0°C ice more effective at cooling a drink than 0°C water of the same mass?


Why is the refractive index of water bigger than that of air?


Why is the centripetal force necessary for circular motion?


Why are electron volts used instead of Joules in Quantum Phenomena and how do you convert between the two?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2026 by IXL Learning