Poissonverhouding

Poissonverhouding is a material property that describes the extent of transverse strain in relation to axial strain when a material is subjected to a uniaxial stress. It is defined as the negative ratio of transverse strain to axial strain. When a material is stretched or compressed along one axis, it tends to contract or expand, respectively, in the perpendicular directions. Poisson's ratio quantifies this effect. For many common materials, such as metals and polymers, the Poisson's ratio is positive, meaning that stretching in one direction causes contraction in the perpendicular directions. For some exotic materials, known as auxetic materials, the Poisson's ratio is negative, meaning they expand in all directions when stretched. The value of Poisson's ratio typically ranges from 0 to 0.5 for isotropic materials. A value of 0 indicates no lateral contraction upon stretching, while a value of 0.5 suggests that the material's volume remains constant under uniaxial stress. This property is crucial in engineering design, particularly in structural analysis and the prediction of material behavior under various loading conditions. It influences how components deform and can affect their strength and stability.