University:
University of Alberta
Course:
GEOPH8M | Geophysics
Academic year:

2024
Views:

92

Pages:

2
Author:

Neena N.

Bulk Modulus-Lecture note Overview. ● an indicator of how resistant a material is to compression. ● The amount of force required to compress something in order to reduce its size. definition Symbol: K. K=- (AP / (AV/V)) is the formula. AP = Pressure change. AV stands for volume change. V stands for the initial volume. . Important point: The negative sign indicates that the volume (AV 0) decreases as the pressure (AP 0) increases. Knowing the Bulk Modulus High K: Stiff difficult to compress material (such as steel). Low K: The material compresses readily much like air. Fourth. Quantities. Pascal (Pa) is the SI unit. Other units: Usually given in gigapascals or GPa. Uses ● Engineering: Selecting materials for particular uses and designing structures. ● Geophysics is the study of the interior of the Earth. ● Knowing how various materials behave under pressure is known as materials science. Example ● Think of a balloon. . . The bulk modulus is low. By blowing air into it you can easily compress it. ● Imagine a steel ball now. Bulk modulus is high. To even slightly compress it a lot of force would be required.