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extensional strain
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Figure 5: (A) Extensional strain and (B) simple shear strain, where the element drawn with dashed lines represents the reference configuration, and the element drawn with solid lines represents the deformed configuration.
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extensional strain

mechanics
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Figure 5: (A) Extensional strain and (B) simple shear strain, where the element drawn with dashed lines represents the reference configuration, and the element drawn with solid lines represents the deformed configuration.
Figure 5: (A) Extensional strain and (B) simple shear strain, where the element drawn with dashed lines represents the reference configuration, and the element drawn with solid lines represents the deformed configuration.

Extensional strain, in mechanics, quantifies the relative change in length or volume of a material when subjected to forces. It's a dimensionless number describing deformation.

There are two main types of strain:
* Normal strain: Caused by forces perpendicular to a material's surface. This includes changes in length (like stretching or compressing a rod) or changes in volume under pressure. For elongation, it's the change in length divided by the original length.
* Shear strain: Caused by forces parallel to a material's surface, leading to a change in shape where right angles become acute or obtuse. For instance, twisting a metal tube creates shear strain.1

Extensional strain can be defined in several ways, such as the change in length divided by the original length, or as a logarithmic strain.2

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2 Britannica Sources
  1. strain
  2. mechanics of solids - Strain and strain-displacement relations

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