Bulk Modulus Calculator

Calculate bulk modulus from pressure and volume change. Measure a material's resistance to uniform compression.

Input Values

100,000,000 Pa
1,000,000 Pa10,000,000,000 Pa
Pa

100.00 MPa = 0.1000 GPa

1 m³
0.00110

1000.00 liters

0.001 m³
00.1

1.0000 liters (compression is positive)

Bulk Modulus

100.0000 GPa

1.0000e+11 Pa

εVolumetric Strain
0.1000%
βCompressibility
1.0000e-11 Pa⁻¹
PApplied Pressure
100.00 MPa
vSound Speed (ρ=1000)
10000.00 m/s

Formula Used:

K = -V₀ × (ΔP / ΔV) = P / (ΔV/V₀)

β = 1 / K (compressibility)

Common Material Values:

Water2.2 GPa
Steel160 GPa
Aluminum76 GPa
Glass35-55 GPa
Rubber1.5-2 GPa
Air (at 1 atm)0.14 MPa

What is Bulk Modulus?

Bulk modulus (K) measures a material's resistance to uniform compression. When a uniform pressure is applied to all surfaces of an object, the bulk modulus determines how much the volume changes. A higher bulk modulus indicates a less compressible material. It is the three-dimensional equivalent of Young's modulus, which applies to one-dimensional (uniaxial) stress. The reciprocal of bulk modulus is called compressibility (β).

Bulk Modulus Relationships

Basic Formula

K = -V(dP/dV)

Negative sign because volume decreases under pressure

Relation to E and G

K = E / 3(1-2ν)

Where: E = Young's modulus, ν = Poisson's ratio