UPSC Prelims 2007·GS1·science-and-technology·science and technology

Four wires of same material and of dimensions as under as stretched by a load of same magnitude separately. Which one of them will be elongated maximum?

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Last updated 23 May 2026, 3:31 pm IST
  1. AWire of 1 m length and 2 mm diameter
  2. BWire of 2 m length and 2 mm diameter
  3. CWire of 3 m length and 1.5 mm diameterCorrect
  4. DWire 1 m length and 1 mm diameter

Explanation

To understand which wire elongates the most, we use the physics formula for elongation. Elongation is directly proportional to the length of the wire and inversely proportional to the square of its diameter. This means the longest wire with the smallest diameter will experience the maximum elongation. Comparing the options: Option A has 1 m length and 2 mm diameter. Option B has 2 m length and 2 mm diameter. Option C has 3 m length and 1.5 mm diameter. Option D has 1 m length and 1 mm diameter. Option C is the longest wire at 3 meters and has a relatively small diameter. When you calculate the ratio of length to the square of the diameter for each option, Option C yields the highest value. Therefore, under the same load and material conditions, the wire in Option C will stretch the most.
science-and-technology: Four wires of same material and of dimensions as under as stretched by a load of same magnitude separately. Which one of

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