Engineering strain

Engineering strain is a measure of how much a material stretches or deforms when subjected to a force compared to its original length. It is calculated by dividing the change in length (elongation or compression) by the original length of the material. For example, if a metal rod 1 meter long stretches by 1 millimeter under tension, the engineering strain is 1 millimeter divided by 1 meter, which is 0.001 or 0.1%. This dimensionless ratio helps engineers understand the extent of deformation and predict how materials will behave under different loading conditions.