Young’s modulus of a material of a wire of length and cross-sectional area is . If the length of the wire is doubled and cross-sectional area is halved, then Young’s modulus will be:
- A
- B
- C
- D
Young’s modulus of a material of a wire of length and cross-sectional area is . If the length of the wire is doubled and cross-sectional area is halved, then Young’s modulus will be:
Correct answer:B
Standard Method
Given: Young’s modulus of the material is for a wire of length and cross-sectional area .
Find: Young’s modulus when the length becomes and the cross-sectional area becomes .
Young's modulus is defined as
It is a property of the material and does not depend on the dimensions of the wire, provided the material remains the same and deformation is within the elastic limit.
So, even if the length is doubled and the cross-sectional area is halved, the value of Young’s modulus remains unchanged.
Therefore, the Young’s modulus is . The solution working gives the final value as , although the solution labels the correct option as C. Based on the solution explanation, the defensible option is B.
Why Dimensions Do Not Matter
Given: Same material, but wire dimensions are changed.
Find: Whether Young’s modulus changes with geometry.
Young’s modulus relates stress to strain:
Although and appear in the formula, they are part of the measured deformation relation for a specimen. For a given material, the ratio of stress to strain remains fixed in the elastic region.
Hence changing the wire length from to and area from to does not change the material constant.
Therefore, the correct option is B.
Assuming Young’s modulus changes when length or area changes. This is wrong because Young’s modulus is an intrinsic property of the material. Use the idea of material property, not specimen size.
Treating as if changing or alone directly changes . This is wrong because also changes accordingly for the same material. Focus on the ratio of stress to strain.
Following the option label shown on the page without checking the written explanation. Here the page marks option C, but the solution concludes the value remains . Always trust the actual physical reasoning.
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