Shear Modulus Calculator
Solve shear modulus, shear stress or engineering shear strain using the small-strain elastic relation, with SI and psi pressure units.
Find a material’s shear modulus from shear stress and engineering shear strain, or rearrange the same relationship to solve one of those quantities. The calculator handles unit conversion while keeping the elastic assumption visible.
How to use this tool
- Select the unknown quantity; its existing input value is ignored.
- Enter the two known magnitudes and choose pressure units independently for stress and modulus.
- Choose dimensionless ratio or percent for engineering shear strain.
- Compare the returned stress, modulus and strain using the stated small-deformation model.
Formula
τ = Gγ; G = τ / γ; γ = τ / G
τ is shear stress, G is shear modulus, and γ is engineering shear strain. In simple shear, γ is lateral displacement divided by specimen thickness. It approximates the small angular distortion in radians, but a degree measurement cannot be entered directly. Both stress and modulus are converted to pascals internally.
Example
A shear stress of 50 MPa at engineering shear strain 0.001 gives G = 50 / 0.001 = 50,000 MPa, or 50 GPa. If G is 25 GPa and strain is 0.2%, the predicted stress is also 50 MPa.
Frequently asked questions
Is shear modulus the same as Young’s modulus?
No. They describe different deformation modes. Converting between them requires additional material assumptions and a Poisson ratio; this tool does not silently supply those inputs.
Can I use a zero stress measurement?
Zero stress predicts zero strain when a positive modulus is known. Zero stress and zero strain cannot identify a modulus, so modulus-solving mode requires both measurements to be positive.
Does this establish a safe working stress?
No. It describes stiffness within a known elastic range. Yield, fatigue, temperature, anisotropy and failure limits need separate information about the material and loading.
Sources
Last updated: 2026-10-30