1. What is Shear Modulus?

Shear modulus (G) is a material property that measures the stiffness of a material when subjected to shear stress. It's defined as the ratio of shear stress to shear strain and is one of the measures of mechanical properties of materials.

2. How Does the Calculator Work?

The calculator uses the shear modulus formula:

Where:

• \( G \) — Shear modulus (Pascals, Pa)
• Shear Stress — Force per unit area (Pa)
• Shear Strain — Ratio of deformation to original dimension (dimensionless)

Explanation: The equation shows how much a material will deform under shear stress, with stiffer materials having higher shear modulus values.

3. Importance of Shear Modulus

Details: Shear modulus is crucial in engineering applications where materials experience shear forces, such as in structural beams, fasteners, and earthquake-resistant designs.

4. Using the Calculator

Tips: Enter shear stress in Pascals (Pa) and shear strain (dimensionless). Both values must be positive numbers.

5. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

Q1: What are typical shear modulus values?
A: Steel has G ≈ 79 GPa, aluminum ≈ 26 GPa, rubber ≈ 0.0003 GPa. Higher values indicate stiffer materials.

Q2: How does shear modulus relate to other elastic moduli?
A: For isotropic materials, \( G = \frac{E}{2(1+\nu)} \), where E is Young's modulus and ν is Poisson's ratio.

Q3: What's the difference between shear modulus and Young's modulus?
A: Young's modulus measures resistance to linear deformation, while shear modulus measures resistance to angular deformation.

Q4: Can shear modulus be negative?
A: No, negative values would imply the material expands when compressed, which is physically impossible for stable materials.

Q5: How is shear strain measured experimentally?
A: Typically measured using torsion tests where a sample is twisted and the angular displacement is recorded.