Abstract It is shown that Hatschek's formula for the stress-elongation curve of rubber—better known as Ariano's formula—does not hold for normally vulcanized rubber. The observation has been made that the stress-elongation curves of natural and synthetic rubbers follow nonrectangular hyperbolae closely and practically up to the point of rupture. The axes of symmetry of these hyperbolae make angles of about 40° with the stress-axis in the case of pure-gum mixtures and about 30° for carbon black mixtures. A general formula has been derived which holds for all the rubbers investigated.