bulkmodulusen

Bulk modulus, often denoted by the symbol K, is a measure of a substance's resistance to uniform compression. It quantifies how much the volume of a fluid or solid changes when subjected to hydrostatic pressure. Mathematically, it is defined as the ratio of the applied pressure increase to the relative volume decrease. Specifically, K = -V (dP/dV), where V is the initial volume and dP is the change in pressure, and dV is the corresponding change in volume. The negative sign indicates that an increase in pressure leads to a decrease in volume.

A high bulk modulus signifies that a material is difficult to compress, meaning it requires a large pressure change to induce a small volume change. Conversely, a low bulk modulus indicates that a material is easily compressible. Bulk modulus is an important material property in fields such as solid mechanics, fluid dynamics, and geophysics. For example, it is crucial for understanding the behavior of liquids under pressure and the seismic wave propagation through the Earth's interior. The units of bulk modulus are typically Pascals (Pa) or pounds per square inch (psi), the same as pressure.