What happens to a material that experiences elastic strain?

When a material experiences elastic strain, it deforms temporarily under stress. This means that when the applied stress or force is removed, the material will return to its original shape and size. This characteristic is a fundamental property of elastic materials, which is defined by Hooke's Law: the deformation is directly proportional to the applied stress, as long as the material is within its elastic limit.

In contrast, other scenarios like permanent deformation or fracturing occur when materials exceed their elastic limit, leading to plastic deformation or failure. Rigid materials do not typically undergo elastic strain in the same way, as they may not return to their original shape when stressed. Hence, the defining feature of elastic strain is its recoverable nature, which ensures that the material reverts back to its initial configuration after the stress is taken away.