Elastic modulus is S in North America, but Z in Britain/Australia, and vice versa for the plastic modulus. North American and British/Australian convention reverse the usage of S & Z. The section moduli of different profiles can also be found as numerical values for common profiles in tables listing properties of such. There are two types of section moduli, the elastic section modulus and the plastic section modulus. Equations for the section moduli of common shapes are given below. Any relationship between these properties is highly dependent on the shape in question. Other geometric properties used in design include area for tension and shear, radius of gyration for compression, and second moment of area and polar second moment of area for stiffness. Section modulus is a geometric property for a given cross-section used in the design of beams or flexural members.

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