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The shear modulus (or modulus of rigidity) describes a material's response to shear deformation. It is defined as the ratio of shear stress to engineering shear strain.
Modulus of rigidity for shear deformation.
G = τ / γ
G is the shear modulus, τ is the shear stress and γ (gamma) the engineering shear strain. For isotropic materials G = E / (2(1 + ν)).
| Symbol | Meaning |
|---|---|
| G | Shear modulus. |
| τ | Shear stress. |
| γ | Engineering shear strain. |
G = τ / γ = 80 MPa / 0.0025 = 32 GPa for this shear loading.
Continue with the Bulk Modulus Calculator, Poisson's Ratio Calculator, or the Linear Thermal Expansion Calculator — or browse more materials and elasticity tools and all physics calculators.
Young's modulus measures longitudinal stiffness; shear modulus measures resistance to shape change without volume change.
Results are computed from the standard equations of classical mechanics. Unit conversions use the SI definitions published by NIST. Air resistance is ignored unless the calculator names a drag model.
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Content updated: September 2026