Soft stretchy materials (like aluminum compared to steel) tend to have a high MOE. Hard brittle materials tend to have a low MOE
Jake,
You got that the wrong way round, Aluminium has a lower modulus of elasticity (70GPa)(often called Youngs modulus), and steel has a higher modulus of elasticity (200 GPa).
When you see equations for stiffness the Modulus of Elasticity is often represented by the letter E.
It is basicly a measure of how far a material will stretch under a given load (stiffness). A mast made from a lower modulus of elasticity material would be less stiff.
