🔧 Shear Modulus Calculator
Calculate a material’s shear modulus (modulus of rigidity) from applied shear stress and the resulting shear strain.
What shear modulus measures
Shear modulus (G), also called the modulus of rigidity, measures a material’s resistance to shape-distorting (shearing) forces. It is defined as G = shear stress / shear strain, where shear stress is force divided by the area it acts across, and shear strain is the transverse deformation divided by the original height.
How this calculator works
Enter the applied shear force, the cross-sectional area it acts parallel to, the resulting sideways deformation, and the original height of the sample. The calculator computes shear stress (force ÷ area), shear strain (deformation ÷ height), and then divides stress by strain to get the shear modulus, shown in both pascals and gigapascals.
A higher shear modulus means a material more strongly resists twisting or sliding deformation — metals typically have shear moduli in the tens of gigapascals, while rubber’s is very low. This calculator is for general engineering and educational purposes.