As illustrated in the figure, the upper wire is constructed from steel and the lower wire from copper. Both wires possess an equal cross section. Determine the ratio of the longitudinal strain developed in the copper wire to that in the steel wire.

Step-by-step solution

Both the steel and copper wires are connected in series and support the same load, so they experience the same tension T . Given that both wires have an equal cross-sectional area A , the longitudinal stress in both wires is the same: = T A From Hooke's law, the longitudinal strain is given by: = Y where Y is the Young's modulus of the material. The ratio of the longitudinal strain in the copper wire to that in the steel wire is: _c _s = / Y_c / Y_s = Y_s Y_c Using the standard values of Young's modulus for steel a