What term describes a property of a material that relates lateral strain to longitudinal strain?

The property of a material that relates lateral strain to longitudinal strain is known as Poisson's ratio. This ratio quantifies the relationship between the deformation experienced by a material in one direction and the deformation in the perpendicular direction when subjected to stress. Specifically, when a material is stretched, it tends to become thinner in the lateral direction. Poisson's ratio is defined mathematically as the negative ratio of lateral strain to longitudinal strain, providing insight into the material's elastic behavior and how it responds to external forces.

Understanding Poisson's ratio is important in engineering, particularly in structural and mechanical design, as it helps predict how materials will behave under various loading conditions. A Poisson's ratio typically ranges from 0 to 0.5 for most materials, where a value of 0 indicates no lateral strain in response to longitudinal strain, and a value close to 0.5 suggests a high tendency for lateral contraction. This concept is crucial when selecting materials for applications that involve stress and strain analysis.