Young's Modulus Question: stretch of a wire

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on calculating the stretch of a wire using Young's Modulus. A force stretches a wire by 2mm, while a second wire of the same material, cross-sectional area, and double the length is also subjected to the same force. The correct calculation shows that the stretch of the second wire is 4mm, derived from the equation F = (YA/L)ΔL. The solution confirms that the longer wire can be viewed as two segments of the original wire, each stretching 2mm.

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  • Understanding of Young's Modulus (Y)
  • Familiarity with the formula F = (YA/L)ΔL
  • Knowledge of tensile stress and strain concepts
  • Basic algebra for solving equations
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DanT
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Homework Statement


A force stretches a wire by 2mm. A second wire of the same material and with the same area of cross-section and twice the length is also stretched by the same force. What will its stretch be?

Homework Equations


F= (YA/L)ΔL

The Attempt at a Solution



F, Y, and A are all equal

First wire:
F =(YA/L1)*2 mm

Second wire:
F =(YA/2L1)ΔL

1. I set them equal to each other to solve for ΔL
(YA/2L1)ΔL = (YA/L1)*2

2. I canceled out YA
ΔL/2L1 = 2/L1

3. I multiplied both sides by 2L1 to isolate ΔL

ΔL = 4 mmDid I do this correctly? I'm unsure because I've received notes from a friend and they got a different answer for the same problem. Thanks in advance.
 
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You did it right.
An easier route to the answer considers the longer wire as two copies of the first wire end to end. Each copy is subject to the same tension as the original, so each stretches 2mm.
 
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