Certified Safety Professional Exam 2025 – 400 Free Practice Questions to Pass the Exam

The amount of elastic potential energy stored in an elastic material is directly influenced by the amount of stretch or compression applied to that material. This relationship is defined by Hooke's Law, which states that the force exerted by an elastic material is proportional to the amount it is deformed, as long as the material has not exceeded its elastic limit. Mathematically, elastic potential energy can be expressed as \( \frac{1}{2} k x^2 \), where \( k \) is the stiffness constant of the material, and \( x \) is the amount of stretch or compression from the material's resting position. Thus, as the stretch or compression increases, the elastic potential energy stored in the material also increases.

While factors like the diameter of the material, temperature, and age may affect the material’s properties or its overall behavior in certain contexts, they do not directly determine the amount of elastic potential energy in the way that the extent of deformation does. The diameter might affect the stiffness or yield point, temperature can influence material properties like flexibility or brittleness, and age could potentially alter the material’s characteristics, but the core factor influencing the energy storage capability is the degree to which the material is stretched or compressed.