Final answer:
The shear modulus of the hydrogel in this experiment is 0.0118 N/m².
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks for the shear modulus of a hydrogel, which is a measure of its resistance to shear deformation. The shear modulus can be calculated using the formula:
S = (F * L) / (A * d)
where:
S is the shear modulus, F is the applied shear force, L is the length of the shear displacement, A is the cross-sectional area of the hydrogel, and d is the thickness of the hydrogel.
In this experiment, the shear force was 5.9 N and the shear displacement was 4.0 mm. The cross-sectional area can be calculated by multiplying the base dimensions, which are 20 mm by 20 mm. The thickness of the hydrogel is given as 5.0 mm. Plugging these values into the formula, we can calculate the shear modulus:
S = (5.9 N * 4.0 mm) / (20 mm * 20 mm * 5.0 mm) = 0.0118 N/m²