JAMB - Physics (1992 - No. 8)

In an experiment to determine Young's Modulus for a wire, several loads are attached to the wire and the corresponding extension measured. The tensile stress in each case depends on the
load and the extension
load and the radius of the wire
radius of the wire and the extension
extension and the original length of the wire

Explanation

In an experiment to determine Young's Modulus for a wire, the tensile stress depends on the following factors:

Tensile Stress = The tensile stress (\( \sigma \)) is defined as the force (load, \( F \)) applied per unit area (\( A \)):
 \(\sigma = \frac{F}{A}\)

Cross-Sectional Area:
 For a wire with a circular cross-section, the area (\( A \)) can be expressed in terms of the radius (\( r \)):
 \(A = \pi r^2\)

Combining the Equations:
 Therefore, the tensile stress can be rewritten as:
 \(\sigma = \frac{F}{\pi r^2}\)

From this, we see that the tensile stress depends on both the load (\( F \)) and the radius (\( r \)) of the wire. 

Thus, the correct answer is:
\(\text{B. Load and the radius of the wire}\)

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