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Strain and Stress

Summary values of materials are useful for engineers to compare the qualities of different materials. Two examples of summary values are stress and strain.

Effect of forces

Effect of forces

  • Forces can change an object's shape.
  • The study of stress and strain is a study of how forces change an object's shape.
    • Some forces stretch the object.
      • These forces are called tensile forces.
    • Some forces squash the object.
      • These forces are called compressive forces.
Stress

Stress

  • Stress can be defined as:
    • Stress = force along the axis of the objectcrosssectional area of the object\frac{force\space along\space the\space axis\space of\space the\space object}{cross-sectional\space area \space of \space the \space object}
    • σ=FA\sigma = \frac{F}{A}
  • If the force is tensile, then the stress is positive.
  • If the force is compressive, then the stress is negative.
  • The units are newtons per metre squared (N/m2) or pascals (Pa).
Strain

Strain

  • Strain can be defined as:
    • strain=extensionoriginal lengthstrain = \frac{extension}{original\space length}
    • ϵ=ΔLL\epsilon = \frac{\Delta L}{L}
  • If the force is tensile, then the strain is positive.
  • If the force is compressive, then the strain is negative.
  • There are no units for strain because strain is a ratio.
Breaking stress

Breaking stress

  • Breaking stress is the stress required to break the material.
  • The maximum tensile stress an object can withstand is called the ultimate tensile stress.
  • Some materials can undergo some strain beyond the point of ultimate tensile stress before breaking.

Stress-Strain Curves

Materials have a wide variety of properties that are best illustrated on a stress-strain curve.

Ductility

Ductility

  • A material is ductile if it can be stretched out into a wire and remain that way.
  • Ductile materials like metals show a gradual decrease in stress with the increasing strain.
    • This means they become easier to deform as their stress-strain values approach the fracture point.
Stress-strain curves

Stress-strain curves

  • The stress-strain curve for a ductile material is shown.
  • The yield point is the point where the material extends without much (or any) increase in stress applied to the material.
  • The fracture point is the point at which the material breaks.
Brittleness

Brittleness

  • Brittle materials fracture and break before they experience a large extension.
  • The fracture point and yield point of a brittle material are the same.
Jump to other topics
1

Principles of Science I

1.1

Structure & Bonding

1.2

Properties of Substances

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Working with Waves

1.7

Waves in Communication

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Principles of Science II

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Relating Properties to use of Substances

4.3

Organic Chemistry

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The Circulatory System

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Urinary System

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Materials

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Fluids

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Contemporary Issues in Science

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