(a) Define strain. (b) A rubber band is stretched to twice its original length. Calculate the strain on the rubber band.

Answer Details

(a)

Strain is a measure of the deformation or elongation of a material when subjected to an external force or stress. It is defined as the ratio of the change in length or shape of an object to its original length or shape.

(b)

In this case, the rubber band has been stretched to twice its original length. Therefore, the change in length is equal to twice the original length (2L), where L is the original length.

To calculate the strain, we use the formula:

Strain = (Change in length) / (Original length)

Substituting the values, we get:

Strain = (2L - L) / L = L / L = 1

So, the strain on the rubber band is 1, which means that the rubber band has elongated by 100% of its original length. This is because the change in length is equal to the original length, so the strain is equal to 1 (or 100%).