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Ch. 12 - Static Equilibrium; Elasticity and Fracture
Giancoli Douglas - Physics for Scientists and Engineers 5th edition
Giancoli Douglas5th editionPhysics for Scientists and EngineersISBN: 9780137488179Not the one you use?Change textbook
Chapter 12, Problem 42

A 15-cm-long tendon was found to stretch 3.7 mm by a force of 13.4 N. The tendon was approximately round with an average diameter of 8.5 mm. Calculate Young’s modulus of this tendon.

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Step 1: Recall the formula for Young's modulus, which is defined as \( E = \frac{\sigma}{\epsilon} \), where \( \sigma \) is the stress and \( \epsilon \) is the strain. Stress is given by \( \sigma = \frac{F}{A} \), and strain is given by \( \epsilon = \frac{\Delta L}{L_0} \).
Step 2: Calculate the cross-sectional area \( A \) of the tendon, assuming it is approximately circular. The formula for the area of a circle is \( A = \pi r^2 \), where \( r \) is the radius. Convert the diameter of 8.5 mm to meters (\( r = \frac{8.5}{2} \times 10^{-3} \) m) and substitute into the formula.
Step 3: Compute the strain \( \epsilon \) using the formula \( \epsilon = \frac{\Delta L}{L_0} \). Here, \( \Delta L \) is the elongation (3.7 mm converted to meters) and \( L_0 \) is the original length of the tendon (15 cm converted to meters).
Step 4: Calculate the stress \( \sigma \) using the formula \( \sigma = \frac{F}{A} \), where \( F \) is the applied force (13.4 N) and \( A \) is the cross-sectional area calculated in Step 2.
Step 5: Substitute the values of \( \sigma \) and \( \epsilon \) into the formula for Young's modulus \( E = \frac{\sigma}{\epsilon} \) to determine the modulus of elasticity for the tendon.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Young's Modulus

Young's modulus is a measure of the stiffness of a material, defined as the ratio of tensile stress to tensile strain. It quantifies how much a material will deform under a given load, providing insight into its elastic properties. A higher Young's modulus indicates a stiffer material that deforms less under stress.
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Tensile Stress

Tensile stress is the force applied per unit area of a material, typically measured in pascals (Pa). It is calculated by dividing the applied force by the cross-sectional area of the material. In the context of the tendon, it helps determine how much force is exerted on the tendon relative to its size.
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Tensile Strain

Tensile strain is the measure of deformation representing the displacement between particles in a material when subjected to tensile stress. It is a dimensionless quantity calculated as the change in length divided by the original length. In this case, it indicates how much the tendon stretches relative to its original length when a force is applied.
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