21 Elasticity

The elasticity of metals refers to its ability return to its original shape after deformation. All metals are elastic to some extent. In physics and materials science, elasticity is the ability of a body to resist a distorting influence and to return to its original size and shape when that influence or force is removed. Solid objects will deform when adequate loads are applied to them; if the material is elastic, the object will return to its initial shape and size after removal. This is in contrast to plasticity, in which the object fails to do so and instead remains in its deformed state.

The physical reasons for elastic behavior can be quite different for different materials. In metals, the atomic lattice changes size and shape when forces are applied (energy is added to the system). When forces are removed, the lattice goes back to the original lower energy state.

Metals with low elastic properties would be gold and lead. The elastic property of any particular metals is noted by their modulus of elasticiy that can be found in the Machinery’s Handbook.

Derived from Elasticity (physics) – Wikipedia accessed and available online 5 March 2024 and The Virtual Machine Shop (http://www.jjjtrain.com/vms/eng_metallurgy/eng_metallurgy_04.html) accessed and available via the WayBack Machine internet archive 16 January 2024.