diff --git a/index.html b/index.html
index 7d52fd1a30d49bdabd82b8675e8cf20632cbedc8..ac77526160b999bc8c38961fdd7a4a36e6bd109b 100644
--- a/index.html
+++ b/index.html
@@ -490,8 +490,8 @@
                         Face Normals Material
                     </label>
                     <label class="radio">
-                        <input name="colorMode" value="error" data-toggle="radio" class="custom-radio" type="radio"><span class="icons"><span class="icon-unchecked"></span><span class="icon-checked"></span></span>
-                        Node Error Material
+                        <input name="colorMode" value="axialStrain" data-toggle="radio" class="custom-radio" type="radio"><span class="icons"><span class="icon-unchecked"></span><span class="icon-checked"></span></span>
+                        Axial Strain Material
                     </label>
                 </div>
             </div><br/>
@@ -618,10 +618,13 @@
                     origami pattern are being violated.  The error at each node is evaluated by averaging the
                     percent deviation of all its distance constraints with adjacent nodes.  This error is
                     reported as a percent of the total length of the distance constraint to remove scaling effects.
+                    <br/><br/>
+                    This measurement is equivalent to <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deformation_(mechanics)#Engineering_strain" target="_blank">
+                        Cauchy strain or engineering strain</a> of the axial constraints on this system.
                     Increasing the "Axial Stiffness" of the simulation will tighten these constraints and
                     lower the error in the simulation.<br/>
                     <br/>
-                    To visualize the error of each node graphically, select "Node Error Material" under "Mesh Material"
+                    To visualize the error of each node graphically, select "Axial Strain Material" under "Mesh Material"
                      in the left menu.
                 </p>
             </div>
diff --git a/js/dynamic/dynamicSolver.js b/js/dynamic/dynamicSolver.js
index c5d8acee94b95ff76949bf9422469024f624c49b..7a4c83134cb70104e0b64ad8257d73f0e9485c9b 100644
--- a/js/dynamic/dynamicSolver.js
+++ b/js/dynamic/dynamicSolver.js
@@ -166,7 +166,7 @@ function initDynamicSolver(globals){
             var positions = globals.model.getPositionsArray();
             var globalError = 0;
             var colors;
-            if (globals.colorMode == "error"){
+            if (globals.colorMode == "axialStrain"){
                 colors = globals.model.getColorsArray();
             }
             for (var i = 0; i < nodes.length; i++) {
diff --git a/js/model.js b/js/model.js
index 1ded02f05ba8cfc2b66a9b9207e60f601e72d751..7cf065d391b4e38a291f87cc30284b2b270c741f 100644
--- a/js/model.js
+++ b/js/model.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ function initModel(globals){
     function setMeshMaterial() {
         if (globals.colorMode == "normal") {
             material = new THREE.MeshNormalMaterial({side: THREE.DoubleSide});
-        } else if (globals.colorMode == "error"){
+        } else if (globals.colorMode == "axialStrain"){
             material = new THREE.MeshBasicMaterial({vertexColors: THREE.VertexColors, side:THREE.DoubleSide});
         } else {
             //todo can't do this
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ function initModel(globals){
                 console.log("static");
             }
             geometry.attributes.position.needsUpdate = true;
-            if (globals.colorMode == "error") geometry.attributes.color.needsUpdate = true;
+            if (globals.colorMode == "axialStrain") geometry.attributes.color.needsUpdate = true;
             geometry.computeVertexNormals();
             // geometry.computeFlatVertexNormals();
         });