We calculated the elastic properties of MgCNi<sub >3</sub> at the superconducting transition (<svg style="vertical-align:-3.3907pt;width:16.9px;" id="M1" height="15.8375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16.9 15.8375" width="16.9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.55)"><path id="x1D447" d="M649 676l-22 -187l-33 -2q3 56 -12 94q-8 20 -31.5 26.5t-86.5 6.5h-74l-90 -491q-4 -23 -6 -36.5t1 -25t7 -16.5t18 -9t27 -5t41 -3l-6 -28h-286l4 28q68 5 84 18.5t28 76.5l94 491h-55q-74 0 -100.5 -6t-41.5 -23q-24 -29 -54 -98l-32 1q32 98 53 188h22q7 -18 15 -22
t37 -4h417q23 0 33.5 5t25.5 21h23z" /></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,11.388,15.637)"><path id="x1D450" d="M383 397q0 -32 -35 -49q-12 -6 -23 8q-37 45 -84 45t-90 -71q-40 -65 -40 -167q0 -57 22 -86t59 -29q38 0 81.5 24.5t69.5 51.5l16 -21q-44 -53 -104 -84t-109 -31q-56 0 -89.5 41t-33.5 117q0 61 30 124t79 105q33 28 81 50.5t86 22.5q34 0 59 -15.5t25 -35.5z" /></g> </svg>) using various thermodynamic and acoustic data. From the calculations, a step discontinuity of 8 ppm in the bulk modulus, 7 ppm in the Young’s modulus, and 3 ppm in the longitudinal sound velocity (<svg style="vertical-align:-3.3907pt;width:12.1125px;" id="M2" height="11.9625" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 12.1125 11.9625" width="12.1125" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,7.675)"><path id="x1D463" d="M457 332q0 -81 -41 -161.5t-105.5 -131.5t-129.5 -51q-46 0 -79 30.5t-33 86.5q0 18 7 51q18 95 46 187q6 19 6 33q0 7 -7 7q-24 0 -78 -64l-20 23q32 48 73 77t78 29q33 0 33 -46q0 -38 -10 -70q-28 -92 -39 -152q-7 -38 -7 -57q0 -78 69 -78q68 0 118 75.5t50 194.5
q0 43 -12 57q-11 12 -11 24q0 19 15 35.5t34 16.5q18 0 30.5 -34.5t12.5 -81.5z" /></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,8.225,11.762)"><path id="x1D459" d="M238 681l-124 -585q-7 -31 4 -31q10 0 37.5 18.5t49.5 41.5l16 -22q-40 -48 -89.5 -81.5t-76.5 -33.5q-42 0 -16 122l105 488q7 32 0 41t-39 9h-35l5 26q35 3 71 13t58 17.5t26 7.5q14 0 8 -31z" /></g> </svg>) is expected at <svg style="vertical-align:-3.3907pt;width:16.9px;" id="M3" height="15.8375" version="1.1" viewBox="0 0 16.9 15.8375" width="16.9" xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"> <g transform="matrix(.017,-0,0,-.017,.062,11.55)"><use xlink:href="#x1D447"/></g> <g transform="matrix(.012,-0,0,-.012,11.388,15.637)"><use xlink:href="#x1D450"/></g> </svg>. The step discontinuities at the transition temperature indicated the importance of lattice changes to the superconducting mechanism of MgCNi<sub >3</sub>. The Debye temperature was calculated to be 460 K. The electron-phonon coupling constants calculated in the weak and strong coupling limits of the BCS theory and the van Hove scenario showed that MgCNi<sub >3</sub> is a moderately strong coupled superconductor.