Question

How many independent elastic parameters are needed to describe a homogeneous isotropic material?

• A. 21
• B. 2
• C. 36
• D. 3

Hint:

For a homogeneous, isotropic material, only two independent elastic parameters (Young’s Modulus and Poisson’s Ratio) are needed to fully describe its behavior.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is B

For a homogeneous, isotropic material, the number of independent elastic parameters needed to fully describe its mechanical behavior is 2. These two parameters are the Young’s Modulus (E) and the Poisson’s Ratio (ν). - Young’s Modulus (E) represents the material’s stiffness in response to uniaxial stress. - Poisson’s Ratio (ν) describes the ratio of lateral strain to axial strain when the material is subjected to stress. While there are other parameters in elasticity, such as shear modulus and bulk modulus, these can be derived from the two independent parameters (E and ν) for isotropic materials. Thus, the correct answer is (B) 2.