Lesson 4.2.2

4.2.2 Stress, strain and elastic strain energy Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 4

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 4.2.2, Stress, strain and elastic strain energy: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 4: Materials, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. How is tensile stress defined in terms of force and area?

    • Force times length
    • Force / area
    • Area / force
    • Force times area

  2. How is tensile strain defined for a stretched wire?

    • Original length / extension
    • Extension / area
    • Force / original length
    • Extension / original length

  3. How is the Young modulus of a material defined?

    • Stress / strain
    • Strain / stress
    • Stress times strain
    • Force / extension

  4. What is the SI unit used for measuring tensile strain?

    • Metres
    • No unit
    • Pascals
    • Newtons per metre

  5. What stress value causes a material to break or fracture?

    • Proportional limit
    • Elastic limit
    • Yield stress
    • Breaking stress

  6. Which expression gives the elastic strain energy stored in a stretched wire that obeys Hooke's law?

    • F delta x
    • 1/2 F (delta x)^2
    • 1/2 F delta x
    • F^2/(2 delta x)

  7. What quantity is represented by the area under a force-extension graph?

    • Work done
    • Spring constant
    • Young modulus
    • Tensile stress

  8. A force of 200 N acts on a wire of cross-sectional area 2.0 x 10^-4 m^2. What is the stress in the wire?

    • 1.0 x 10^6 Pa
    • 1.0 x 10^-6 Pa
    • 4.0 x 10^-2 Pa
    • 4.0 x 10^5 Pa

  9. A wire of original length 2.0 m extends by 0.50 mm. What is its strain?

    • 2.5 x 10^-4
    • 0.25
    • 2.5 x 10^-3
    • 4.0 x 10^-4

  10. A material has stress 5.0 x 10^7 Pa and strain 1.0 x 10^-3 within its elastic region. What is its Young modulus?

    • 5.0 x 10^4 Pa
    • 5.0 x 10^7 Pa
    • 5.0 x 10^10 Pa
    • 2.0 x 10^-11 Pa

  11. A steel wire of length 1.5 m has stress 2.0 x 10^8 Pa and Young modulus 2.0 x 10^11 Pa. What is its extension?

    • 0.67 mm
    • 15 mm
    • 1.5 mm
    • 0.15 mm

  12. A spring obeys Hooke's law. It is extended by 0.020 m under a force of 8.0 N. How much elastic strain energy is stored?

    • 0.080 J
    • 0.040 J
    • 0.0040 J
    • 0.16 J

  13. A Hooke's law spring stores 0.50 J of elastic strain energy when extended by 0.10 m. What is its stiffness?

    • 50 N/m
    • 200 N/m
    • 100 N/m
    • 10 N/m

  14. A wire carries a force of 500 N and has a stress of 1.0 x 10^8 Pa. What is its cross-sectional area?

    • 2.0 x 10^-6 m^2
    • 5.0 x 10^-8 m^2
    • 5.0 x 10^-4 m^2
    • 5.0 x 10^-6 m^2

  15. A steel wire has Young modulus 2.0 x 10^11 Pa and is under stress 4.0 x 10^8 Pa. What is its strain?

    • 2.0 x 10^-3
    • 2.0 x 10^-2
    • 8.0 x 10^-3
    • 5.0 x 10^-4

  16. Which mechanical property is directly measured by the Young modulus?

    • Strength
    • Stiffness
    • Toughness
    • Ductility

  17. A wire of diameter 0.50 mm carries a force of 20 N. What is the stress in the wire? Take pi = 3.14.

    • 1.0 x 10^5 Pa
    • 5.1 x 10^7 Pa
    • 1.0 x 10^8 Pa
    • 2.0 x 10^8 Pa

  18. A wire of length 1.0 m, cross-sectional area 1.0 x 10^-6 m^2 and Young modulus 2.0 x 10^11 Pa carries a force of 400 N. What is its extension?

    • 2.0 mm
    • 0.50 mm
    • 20 mm
    • 0.20 mm

  19. A force-extension graph is a straight line from the origin to (0.020 m, 10 N), then horizontal at 10 N until 0.040 m. How much energy is stored up to 0.040 m?

    • 0.20 J
    • 0.30 J
    • 0.40 J
    • 0.15 J

  20. What physical quantity does the area under a force-extension graph represent?

    • Tensile stress
    • Elastic limit
    • Young modulus
    • Work done

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