1. n. [Geophysics]
The ratio of stress to strain, abbreviated as K. The bulk modulus is an elastic constant equal to the change in applied pressure (∂P) divided by the ratio of the change in volume to the original volume of a body (∂V/V).
K = −V (∂P / ∂V),
where
K = bulk modulus
V = volume
∂P = partial derivative of pressure
∂V = partial derivative of volume.
Alternate Form: modulus of compression
