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Measuring the Young modulus of a material in the laboratory requires careful experimental technique. The challenge is that metals are very stiff — even under substantial loads, the extension of a wire might be only a fraction of a millimetre. Accurate results demand precise measurements and a systematic approach to minimising uncertainty.
The standard A-level experiment uses a long, thin wire under tension. A long wire is used because extension is proportional to original length (ΔL = FL/AE), so a longer wire gives a larger, more measurable extension for the same stress.
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