What does a higher modulus of elasticity indicate about a material's behavior under stress?

A higher modulus of elasticity indicates that a material is stiffer and more resistant to elastic deformation under stress. Modulus of elasticity, also known as Young's modulus, is a measure of a material's stiffness or its tendency to deform elastically (non-permanently) when a force is applied to it. A higher modulus of elasticity means that a greater force is required to produce a given amount of deformation. In other words, the material will deform less under the same amount of stress compared to a material with a lower modulus of elasticity. For example, steel has a higher modulus of elasticity than rubber; therefore, steel is much stiffer and will deform less than rubber when subjected to the same stress. Therefore, materials with a higher modulus of elasticity are preferred in applications where rigidity and minimal deformation are critical.