EngiRef / Materials Engineering Formula

Poisson's Ratio

Poisson's Ratio: Ratio of lateral to axial strain. A Stress & Strain formula in materials engineering. Variables ν, εₜ and εₐ, each with SI and imperial units.

Stress & Strain

Specification

Name
Poisson's Ratio
Discipline
materials
Category
Stress & Strain
LaTeX
\nu = -\frac{\varepsilon_{transverse}}{\varepsilon_{axial}}
Description
Ratio of lateral to axial strain
Conditions
Small strains; typical values depend on material
Can solve for
ν, εₜ, εₐ
Tags
poisson, ratio, lateral, contraction

Variables

Variables for Poisson's Ratio
SymbolNameUnitSi Unit
νPoisson's Ratio
εₜTransverse Strain
εₐAxial Strain