What type of energy is associated with the compression or stretching of an elastic material?

Elastic potential energy is the type of energy that is stored in an elastic material when it is compressed, stretched, or deformed in any way. This energy is a result of the position of the particles within the material and their ability to return to their original shape when the force is removed. When you pull or compress an elastic object—like a spring or rubber band—you are doing work on it, which is stored as elastic potential energy.

This form of energy is significant in various practical applications, such as in springs in machinery, archery bows, and even in the way we use rubber bands in our daily life. The energy is released when the elastic material returns to its normal state, doing work in the process, which can be seen when a rubber band snaps back or a spring pushes back up after being compressed.

The other options, such as chemical energy, nuclear energy, and thermal energy, pertain to different processes and phenomena, meaning they do not apply to energy related specifically to elastic materials. Chemical energy is related to the bonds in chemical substances, nuclear energy involves energy stored in the nucleus of atoms, and thermal energy is associated with the temperature and movement of particles.