Poisson ratio links a material’s shear and Young’s moduli via lateral strain

Evidence

The shear modulus (G) of a material is related to its Young’s modulus via its Poisson ratio (v). This ratio is defined as the ratio of the magnitudes of the lateral strain to the longitudinal strain and is typically between 0.25 for something like glass to 0.5 for something like hard rubber. It arises because there is a change in lateral dimension, and hence lateral strain, when stress is applied in the longitudinal direction (Poisson contraction). — David M. Howard, Jamie Angus, Acoustics and Psychoacoustics, 113

Categorization

• DEFINE: Explains Poisson contraction and gives typical ratio ranges for common materials.