Which word defines distortion or change caused by applied stress?

Which word defines distortion or change caused by applied stress?

• A. Strain
• B. Tension
• C. Compression
• D. Deformation

Answer: (A)

When a material is subjected to force, the distortion it undergoes is described by strain. Strain measures how much the object deforms relative to its original size. For axial deformation, it’s the change in length divided by the original length: ε = ΔL / L0. For example, if a rod 2.0 m long stretches to 2.01 m, ΔL = 0.01 m and ε = 0.01 / 2.0 = 0.005, or 0.5%. Strain can be due to tension (pulling) or compression (pushing), and it can also describe shear deformation. Tension and compression are types of stress, not the distortion itself, and deformation is the general change in shape or size. So the term that defines the distortion is strain.

When a material is subjected to force, the distortion it undergoes is described by strain. Strain measures how much the object deforms relative to its original size. For axial deformation, it’s the change in length divided by the original length: ε = ΔL / L0. For example, if a rod 2.0 m long stretches to 2.01 m, ΔL = 0.01 m and ε = 0.01 / 2.0 = 0.005, or 0.5%. Strain can be due to tension (pulling) or compression (pushing), and it can also describe shear deformation. Tension and compression are types of stress, not the distortion itself, and deformation is the general change in shape or size. So the term that defines the distortion is strain.