OCR phys A: A few Key Materials bits

OCR AS Physics A Key terms
Stiffness

Stiffness is the resistance of a material to deformation. The stiffer a material is the less it will
stretch for a given force.

Elastic and plastic

A material is said to be elastic if it returns to its original shape and size when…

Stress is a measurment of strength, it is how much pressure a material can withstand
without undergoing physical change. There are a number of different types of stress.

Tensile strength/fracture stress

Tensile strength or fracture stress is the amount of stress a material can be put under
before it fractures.…

Stress-strain graphs

You need to be able to use and recognise the parts of a graph of stress plotted against
strain:




The first thing to know is that the area under the curve represents the toughness of the
material - how much it resists stress.

Between the origin and point…