Editing Polymer (section)

====Young's modulus of elasticity====
[[Young's modulus]] quantifies the [[elasticity (physics)|elasticity]] of the polymer. It is defined, for small [[deformation (mechanics)#Strain|strain]]s, as the ratio of rate of change of stress to strain. Like tensile strength, this is highly relevant in polymer applications involving the physical properties of polymers, such as rubber bands. The modulus is strongly dependent on temperature. [[Viscoelasticity]] describes a complex time-dependent elastic response, which will exhibit [[hysteresis]] in the stress-strain curve when the load is removed. [[Dynamic mechanical analysis]] or DMA measures this complex modulus by oscillating the load and measuring the resulting strain as a function of time.