What is the term for the ratio of lateral strain to axial strain in materials?

The term for the ratio of lateral strain to axial strain in materials is Poisson's ratio. This property is significant in materials science and engineering, as it provides insight into how materials deform under stress. When a material is subjected to axial loading, it experiences elongation or shortening in the axial direction, and simultaneously, there is a corresponding lateral contraction or expansion. Poisson's ratio quantifies this relationship, helping engineers and designers predict how materials will behave under different loading conditions.

For example, a Poisson's ratio of 0.3 indicates that for every unit of longitudinal strain, there is a corresponding lateral strain that is 30% of that amount. Understanding this relationship is crucial for applications in structural engineering, where the behavior under load—such as buckling, stability, and overall material performance—is heavily influenced by the material's ability to redistribute stress and strain through its geometry.

The other terms mentioned—Young's modulus, shear modulus, and elastic limit—refers to different properties of materials. Young's modulus relates to a material’s stiffness in the linear elastic range when experiencing tensile or compressive stress. Shear modulus pertains to a material's response to shear strain, while the elastic limit defines the maximum stress that a material can withstand without