Physics is a fascinating branch of study but this doesn’t mean that it’s enjoyed by all students. Many students find it really difficult to understand the various concepts of Physics, and ultimately lose interest in the subject. One main reason behind this is the fact that class instruction is many times not enough for several students who are slow learners. Furthermore, getting the attention of teachers in a class of large number of students is quite tough. In such cases, you can greatly benefit from the private tutoring services. A private Physics tutor will explain the concepts clearly and illustrate them with examples. In this article, we will discuss about the concept of proportional limit.
Both material science and mechanics are sub-branches of Physics, which refers to the study of physical and chemical properties of every material that finds its applications in diverse fields such as engineering and pure science. In the intense engineering applications, the materials are examined for their potency to find out the yield point or the tensile strength limit. Here, the macroscopic forces come into the picture. When conducting the test of stress, one of the related physical properties is known as the proportional limit.
Before explaining the concept of proportional limit, it is important to understand the various fundamental ideas associated with it. Stress and strain is one of the most basic ideas related to the concept. The strength of any material is usually determined by how it reacts to stress and strain. Stress refers to the measure of internal force/ unit area that acts on a particular body when subjected to the various distorting forces. The unit of stress is equal to Newton/ square meter. In terms of engineering, strain is a proportion of change in the measurement of anybody with regards to the original dimensions. It is that deformation that the body undergoes due to the application of outside forces.
The relation between stress and strain of a body is best defined by the Hooke’s law. This law states that the physical strain experienced by the body is directly proportional to the stress, inside the elastic limit. The elastic limit is that level beyond which if anything is stretched, it gets deformed permanently. Now that you know the related ideas of the proportional limit, we can now go ahead to define the same. In simple terms, proportional limit is the highest quantity of stress that a body can handle, while abiding by the Hooke’s law.