Modulus of elasticity table
Young modulus (modulus of elasticity) for common materials, in millions of psi and gigapascals. It measures stiffness: how much a material stretches elastically under load. A higher modulus means less deflection for the same stress.
Young modulus (E)
| Material | E (Mpsi) | E (GPa) |
|---|---|---|
| Steel (carbon and alloy) | 29 | 200 |
| Stainless steel | 28 | 193 |
| Nickel | 30 | 207 |
| Copper | 17 | 117 |
| Titanium | 16.5 | 114 |
| Brass | 15 | 100 |
| Bronze | 15 | 103 |
| Cast iron (gray) | 16 | 110 |
| Aluminum | 10 | 69 |
| Glass | 10 | 69 |
| Magnesium | 6.5 | 45 |
| Concrete | 4 | 27 |
| Lead | 2 | 14 |
| Wood (pine, along grain) | 1.6 | 11 |
| Nylon 6/6 | 0.4 | 2.8 |
| Polycarbonate | 0.34 | 2.3 |
| ABS | 0.3 | 2.1 |
Modulus of elasticity is a property of the material, almost independent of alloy or heat treatment: every steel, mild or hardened, sits near 29 Mpsi. It governs elastic deflection, not strength, so a stiff part and a strong part are not the same thing. Deflection scales inversely with E.
Comparing stiffness against strength and weight?
See the Material Properties Comparison for density, strength, and modulus together.
Stiffness is not strength
A high modulus means a material resists bending and stretching, but says nothing about how much load it can take before failing. Glass and aluminum have similar moduli yet very different strengths. When a design is limited by deflection rather than breaking, modulus is the property that matters, and changing alloy will not help because E barely moves.
Why all steels share one value
Young modulus comes from the stiffness of atomic bonds, which alloying and heat treatment change very little. That is why mild steel and high-strength alloy steel both sit near 29 Mpsi. To make a steel part stiffer you change its shape or size, not its grade.
FAQ
What is the modulus of elasticity of steel?
About 29 million psi (200 GPa) for essentially all carbon and alloy steels, regardless of strength or hardness.
Does a stronger material have a higher modulus?
Not necessarily. Strength and stiffness are independent. Heat-treating steel raises its strength but leaves its modulus near 29 Mpsi.
How does modulus affect deflection?
Deflection is inversely proportional to modulus. Doubling E halves the deflection under the same load, while aluminum deflects about three times as much as steel for the same shape.