Which material property is described as the ratio of stress to strain within the elastic limit?

The modulus of elasticity, also known as Young's modulus in the context of linear elasticity, specifically describes the relationship between stress (force per unit area) and strain (deformation) within the elastic limit of a material. This means that when a material is subjected to stress, it will deform within a certain range, and if the stress is removed, it will return to its original shape, reflecting the material's elastic behavior.

Mathematically, the modulus of elasticity is defined as the slope of the stress-strain curve in the linear elastic region, providing a measure of how much a material will deform under a given load. It is a fundamental property that helps engineers assess material performance under load and is crucial in structural analysis and design.

Other options refer to different properties: the shear modulus relates stress to shear strain and is relevant to materials under shear forces, the bulk modulus concerns a material's response to uniform pressure, and tensile strength indicates the maximum stress a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before failing. While all of these properties are important, the modulus of elasticity is specifically defined by the stress-to-strain ratio within the elastic limit, which is what the question is asking for.