EngiRef / Materials Engineering Formula

Bulk Modulus

Bulk Modulus: Resistance to uniform compression. A Stress & Strain formula in materials engineering. Variables K, E and ν, each with SI and imperial units.

Stress & Strain

Specification

Name
Bulk Modulus
Discipline
materials
Category
Stress & Strain
LaTeX
K = \frac{E}{3(1-2\nu)}
Description
Resistance to uniform compression
Conditions
Isotropic, linear elastic material
Can solve for
K, E, ν
Tags
bulk, modulus, compression, volumetric

Variables

Variables for Bulk Modulus
SymbolNameUnitSi UnitImperial Unit
KBulk ModulusPaPapsi
EYoung's ModulusPaPapsi
νPoisson's Ratio - - -

Common questions

What is the Bulk Modulus formula?
Resistance to uniform compression. It sits under Stress & Strain, Materials engineering in the EngiRef reference.
What do the symbols in the Bulk Modulus formula mean?
In Bulk Modulus, K is bulk modulus in Pa; E is young's modulus in Pa; ν is poisson's ratio.
When does the Bulk Modulus formula apply?
Bulk Modulus holds under this condition: Isotropic, linear elastic material.