Size effects of elastic modulus of fcc metals based on the Cauchy-Born rule and nanoplate models

In the present research, a simple quasi-continuum model, the Cauchy-Born rule model, is used to investigate the size effects of elastic modulus for fcc metals. By considering a nanoplate model and calculating the strain energy for the nano-sized plate under tension and bending, the relationship between the elastic modulus and the plate thickness is found. Size effects of the elastic modulus are displayed by the relative differences of the elastic modulus between the nano-sized plate sample and the bulk sample. By comparing the present results with those of others, the effectiveness of the Cauchy-Born rule model in studying the size effects of material properties are shown.