Elongation Calculator
Calculate material elongation, strain, and deformation under tension or compression
Calculation Setup
Material Properties (Optional)
Calculation Results
Example Calculation
Steel Rod Under Tension
Material: Carbon Steel (fracture strain: 25%)
Original Length (L₀): 100 mm
Final Length (Lf): 105 mm
Calculation Steps
1. Change in length: ΔL = Lf - L₀ = 105 - 100 = 5 mm
2. Elongation: Ep = (ΔL / L₀) × 100%
3. Ep = (5 / 100) × 100% = 5%
4. Result: 5% elongation (within safe limits for steel)
Typical Fracture Strains
Types of Deformation
Quick Tips
Positive elongation = stretching (tension)
Negative elongation = compression
Fracture strain varies greatly by material
Always consider safety factors in design
Temperature affects material ductility
Understanding Elongation
What is Elongation?
Elongation is the measure of how much a material stretches when subjected to tensile (pulling) forces. It's expressed as a percentage of the original length and is a critical property for understanding material behavior under load.
Engineering vs True Strain
This calculator computes engineering strain (Cauchy strain), which uses the original length as reference. True strain considers the instantaneous length during deformation and is more accurate for large deformations.
Material Failure
When elongation exceeds the fracture strain, materials fail catastrophically. Understanding these limits is crucial for safe engineering design and material selection.
Elongation Formula
Basic Formula
Ep = (ΔL/L₀) × 100%
Where ΔL = Lf - L₀
Change in Length:
ΔL = Lf - L₀
Final Length:
Lf = L₀ + ΔL
Original Length:
L₀ = Lf / (1 + Ep/100)
Ep: Elongation percentage (%)
L₀: Original length
Lf: Final length
ΔL: Change in length