NEET PhysicsUpdated 19 Oct 2026

Mechanical Properties of Solids: NEET PYQs and weightage

Mechanical Properties of Solids carries 1.6 of 100 Physics marks in NEET by past-paper share: 12 of the 758 tagged NEET Physics PYQs in the ViJEEta bank (NEET 2013–2026). It ranks 28 of 30 Physics chapters.

Take the 25-question Mechanical Properties of Solids test Formula sheet ↓All NEET Physics chapters

1.6/100 Weight in Physics

Exam importance (2/5, by past-paper share)

12 NEET PYQs

261 Practice questions

254 With measured difficulty

How the weight is computed: this chapter's tagged NEET PYQs divided by all tagged NEET Physics PYQs in the bank (12 of 758), times 100, with repeated questions counted once. The bank does not store the year of each NEET question, so none is printed. Computed from the bank at build time. Updated 19 Oct 2026.

Mechanical Properties of Solids: formula sheet for NEET

14 formulas, each with when to use it. Copy it onto one page of your notebook: that page is this chapter's handbook.

Young's modulus
$Y = \frac{F / A}{Δ L / L} = \frac{F L}{A Δ L}$
Use it when: A wire or rod is stretched or compressed along its length and you need $Y$ , $Δ L$ or the load.
Elongation of a wire
$Δ L = \frac{F L}{A Y}$
$A = π r^{2} (halve the diameter first)$
Use it when: A load hangs on a wire and you need how much it stretches.
Stress
$σ = \frac{F}{A} (unit N m^{- 2} = Pa, dimensions [M L^{- 1} T^{- 2}])$
Use it when: You need the restoring force per unit area on any cross-section.
Longitudinal strain
$ε = \frac{Δ L}{L} (no unit, no dimensions)$
Use it when: The question asks for fractional or percentage change in length.
Hooke's law
$stress = modulus \times strain$
Use it when: The deformation is small and within the linear part of the stress-strain graph.
Wires joined end to end
$\frac{Y _{1} Δ L _{1}}{L _{1}} = \frac{Y _{2} Δ L _{2}}{L _{2}} (same load, same A)$
$Δ L_{total} = Δ L_{1} + Δ L_{2}$
Use it when: Two wires in series carry one load and you know the total stretch.
Shear modulus (rigidity)
$G = \frac{F / A}{Δ x / L} = \frac{F}{A θ}$
$G \approx \frac{Y}{3} (for most materials)$
Use it when: The force is parallel to a face and the top slides relative to the fixed bottom.
Shear strain
$\frac{Δ x}{L} = tan θ \approx θ (θ in radians)$
Use it when: You need the sideways shift of the top face or the shear angle.
Bulk modulus
$B = - \frac{p}{Δ V / V}$
Use it when: A body is squeezed equally from all sides by a fluid; the minus sign makes $B$ positive because the volume drops.
Compressibility
$k = \frac{1}{B} = - \frac{1}{Δ p} \frac{Δ V}{V}$
Use it when: You are asked how easily a substance changes volume under pressure.
Volume change at depth
$p = h ρ g$
$\frac{Δ V}{V} = \frac{h ρ g}{B} (the volume decreases)$
Use it when: A body or water sits at the bottom of a lake or ocean.
Poisson's ratio
$Poisson’s ratio = \frac{Δ d / d}{Δ L / L} (pure number)$
Use it when: A stretched wire gets thinner and you need the lateral strain from the longitudinal strain.
Elastic potential energy of a stretched wire
$U = \frac{1}{2} \times stress \times strain \times volume = \frac{Y A l ^{2}}{2 L}$
Use it when: You need the work done to stretch a wire by $l$ .
Energy per unit volume
$u = \frac{1}{2} σ ε$
Use it when: The question asks for energy density stored in a stretched wire.

Trap

A wire hanging from the ceiling with weight F has tension F at every section, not 2F, so its stress is F/A. Also, "more elastic" means the material stretches less for the same load. Steel is more elastic than rubber.

How does NEET ask Mechanical Properties of Solids?

8 real previous-year questions from this chapter, as printed in the paper, each with its worked solution. Answer the first one here with no sign-in.

Q1PhysicsNEET UG PYQElastic Moduli

Try right here · No sign-in

Match List I with List II: List – IList – IIA.Young’s Modulus I.

\frac{Δ d}{Δ L} (\frac{L}{d})

B.CompressibilityII.

\frac{F L}{A ( Δ L )}

CBulk ModulusIII.

- \frac{1}{Δ P} (\frac{Δ V}{V})

DPoisson's RatioIV

- P (\frac{V}{Δ V})

Choose the correct answer from the options given below:

Answer key (D) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option D

A. Young's Modulus

= \frac{Stress}{Strain} = \frac{F L}{A Δ L}

B. Compressibility

= \frac{1}{Bulk modulus} = - \frac{1}{Δ P} (\frac{Δ V}{V})

C. Bulk Modulus

= - P (\frac{V}{Δ V})

D. Poisson's Ratio

= \frac{Lateral strain}{Longitudinal strain} = \frac{Δ d}{Δ L} (\frac{L}{d})

Q2PhysicsNEET UG PYQElastic Moduli

The maximum elongation of a steel wire of 1m length if the elastic limit of steel and its Young’s modulus, respectively, are

8 \times 1 0^{8} N m^{- 2}

and

2 \times 1 0^{11} N m^{- 2}

, is

A0.4mm

B40 mm

C8 mm

D4 mm

Answer key (D) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option D

Stress = Y . strain Stress

= \frac{Y ( Δ L ) _{m a x}}{L}

8 \times 1 0^{8} = \frac{2 \times 10 ^{11} \times ( Δ L ) _{m a x}}{1}

(Δ L)_{m a x} = 4 \times 1 0^{- 3} m e t er = 4 mm

Q3PhysicsNEET UG PYQElastic Moduli

The bulk modulus of a spherical object is 'B'. If it is subjected to uniform pressure 'p', the fractional decrease in radius is

\frac{3 p}{B}

\frac{p}{3 B}

\frac{p}{B}

\frac{B}{3 p}

Answer key (B) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option B

B = - \frac{p}{( \frac{Δ V}{V} )}

\frac{Δ V}{V} = - \frac{p}{B}

3 \frac{Δ r}{r} = - \frac{p}{B}

\frac{Δ r}{r} = - \frac{p}{3 B}

-ve sign indicate that decrease in radius.

Q4PhysicsNEET UG PYQElastic Moduli

A wire of length L, area of cross section A is hanging from a fixed support. The length of the wire changes to

L_{1}

when mass M is suspended from its free end. The expression for Young's modulus is :

\frac{M g L}{A L _{1}}

\frac{M g L}{A ( L _{1} - L )}

\frac{M g L _{1}}{A L}

\frac{M g ( L _{1} - L )}{A L}

Answer key (B) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option B

from young’s modulus formula

Y = \frac{\frac{F}{A}}{\frac{Δ l}{l}}

Y = \frac{M g}{A \frac{( L _{1} - L )}{L}}

Q5PhysicsNEET UG PYQElastic Moduli

The approximate depth of an ocean is 2700 m. The compressibility of water is 45.4 × 10

^{- 11}

^{- 1}

and density of water is 10

^{3}

kg/m

^{3}

. "Find fractional change in volume”

A1.4 × 10

^{- 2}

B0.8 × 10

^{- 2}

C1.0 × 10

^{- 2}

D1.2 × 10- 2

Answer key (D) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option D

Compressibility = \frac{1}{bulk modulus} = \frac{Δ v}{v} \frac{1}{P}

∴ \frac{Δ v}{v} = P \times compressibility

= h ρ g \times compressibility

=2700 × 10

^{3}

× 10 × 45.4 × 10

^{- 11}

=1.2 × 10 - 2

Q6PhysicsNEET UG PYQStress and Strain

Copper of fixed volume 'V' is drawn into wire of length ′ ℓ ′ . When this wire is subjected to a constant force 'F', the extension produced in the wire is ′ Δℓ ′ . Which of the following graphs is a straight line?

AΔ ℓ verus

\frac{1}{ℓ ^{2}}

BΔ ℓ verus

ℓ^{2}

CΔ ℓ verus

\frac{1}{ℓ}

DΔ ℓ verus

l

Answer key (B) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option B

\frac{F}{A} = Y \frac{Δ ℓ}{ℓ} \Rightarrow \frac{F ℓ}{V} = Y \frac{Δ ℓ}{ℓ} \Rightarrow Δ ℓ \propto ℓ^{2}

Q7PhysicsNEET UG PYQStress and Strain

A metallic bar of Young's modulus,

0.5 \times 1 0^{11} N m^{- 2}

and coefficient of linear thermal expansion

1 0^{- 5}^{o} C^{- 1}

. Length 1m and area of cross-section

1 0^{- 3} m^{2}

is heated from

0^{\circ} C

10 0^{\circ} C

without expansion or bending. The compressive force developed in it is:

50 \times 1 0^{3} N

100 \times 1 0^{3} N

2 \times 1 0^{3} N

5 \times 1 0^{3} N

Answer key (A) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option A

F = A Y \frac{Δ L}{L} = A Y (α Δ T)

F = 1 0^{- 3} \times 0.5 \times 1 0^{11} \times 1 0^{- 5} \times (100 - 0)

= 0.5 \times 1 0^{13 - 5 - 3} = 0.5 \times 1 0^{5} = 50 \times 1 0^{3}

Q8PhysicsNEET UG PYQElastic Moduli

The following four wires are made of the same material. Which among these will have the largest extension when the same tension is applied?

ALength = 50 cm, diameter = 0.5 mm

BLength = 100 cm, diameter = 1 mm

CLength = 200 cm, diameter = 2 mm

DLength = 300 cm, diameter = 3 mm

Answer key (A) & worked solution

Correct answer: Option A

Young’s modulus for a wire is

Y = \frac{M g L}{A Δ L}

=constant

∴ Δ L = \frac{M g L}{A Y}

Or ,

Δ L \propto \frac{L}{A}

Among the given options, the ratio of

\frac{L}{A}

is maximum for L = 50 cm and D = 0.5 mm. Hence, option (a) is correct.

Which topics in Mechanical Properties of Solids carry the most questions?

All 7 topics, by tagged PYQs, then practice questions. Counted from the bank. Updated 19 Oct 2026.

Topic	PYQs	Practice questions
Elastic Moduli	8	121
Stress and Strain	3	71
Elastic Potential Energy in a Stretched Wire	1	38
Hooke's Law	0	11
Stress-Strain Curve	0	11
Applications of Elastic Behaviour of Materials	0	7
Miscellaneous Examples	0	2

Why does Mechanical Properties of Solids show "–" until you answer 3 questions?

Unknown is not zero. Until you answer at least 3 graded questions in Mechanical Properties of Solids, ViJEEta shows – instead of a zero or a 50% default. Book exercises can raise chapter mastery up to 0.60, adaptive practice up to 0.75, and only a timed chapter test or mock can certify 0.80 and above.

How ViJEEta scores you

What happens when you test Mechanical Properties of Solids?

Every chapter test is 25 questions. It starts at moderate difficulty and adapts after each saved answer. If you open a solution before answering, that attempt earns no credit, so your mastery stays honest.

Start the Mechanical Properties of Solids test

Chapters either side of Mechanical Properties of Solids by weight

Basic Maths and Vectors Weight 2.2/100 Magnetism and Matter Weight 1.7/100 Thermodynamics Weight 0.9/100 Practical Physics Weight 0.8/100

Mechanical Properties of Solids: NEET PYQs and weightage

Mechanical Properties of Solids: formula sheet for NEET

Young's modulus

Elongation of a wire

Stress

Longitudinal strain

Hooke's law

Wires joined end to end

Shear modulus (rigidity)

Shear strain

Bulk modulus

Compressibility

Volume change at depth

Poisson's ratio

Elastic potential energy of a stretched wire

Energy per unit volume

How does NEET ask Mechanical Properties of Solids?

Which topics in Mechanical Properties of Solids carry the most questions?

Why does Mechanical Properties of Solids show "–" until you answer 3 questions?

What happens when you test Mechanical Properties of Solids?

Chapters either side of Mechanical Properties of Solids by weight