shear stress

(noun)

The external force acting on an object or surface parallel to the slope or plane in which it lies; the stress tending to produce shear.

Related Terms

  • Reynolds Number
  • fluidity
  • viscosity

(noun)

The component of stress that causes parallel layers of a material to move relative to each other in their own planes.

Related Terms

  • Reynolds Number
  • fluidity
  • viscosity

Examples of shear stress in the following topics:

  • What is a Fluid?

    • A fluid is a substance that continually deforms (flows) under an applied shear stress.
    • A fluid is a substance that continually deforms (flows) under an applied shear stress.
    • These properties are typically a function of their inability to support a shear stress in static equilibrium.
    • Solids can be subjected to shear stresses, and normal stresses—both compressive and tensile.
    • Real fluids display viscosity and so are capable of being subjected to low levels of shear stress.
  • Poiseuille's Equation and Viscosity

    • Mathematically, viscosity is a proportionality constant relating an applied shear stress to the resulting shear velocity and is given, along with a representative diagram, (see ).
    • As shown, when a force is applied to a fluid, creating a shear stress, the fluid will undergo a certain displacement.
    • Different fluids exhibit different viscous behavior yet, in this analysis, only Newtonian fluids (fluids with constant velocity independent of applied shear stress) will be considered.
    • The variation in velocity between adjacent parallel layers is due to the viscosity of the fluid and resulting shear forces.
    • A proportionality constant relating an applied shear stress to the resulting shear velocity.
  • Stress and Strain

    • The ratio of force to area $\frac{F}{A}$ is called stress and the ratio of change in length to length $\frac{\Delta L}{L}$ is called the strain.
    • Deformations come in several types: changes in length (tension and compression), sideways shear (stress), and changes in volume.
    • The ratio of force to area $\frac{F}{A}$ is called stress and the ratio of change in length to length $\frac{\Delta L}{L}$ is called the strain.
    • Stress and strain are related to each other by a constant called Young's Modulus or the elastic modulus which varies depending on the material.
    • Using Young's Modulus the relation between stress and strain is given by: $\text{stress} = Y\cdot\text{strain}$.
  • Water Waves

    • Both air pressure differences between the upwind and the lee side of a wave crest, as well as friction on the water surface by the wind (making the water to go into the shear stress), contribute to the growth of the waves.
  • Fracture

    • Fracture strength, also known as breaking strength, is the stress at which a specimen fails via fracture.
    • This is usually determined for a given specimen by a tensile test, which charts the stress-strain curve .
    • Rather they generally fracture due to sideways impact or bending, resulting in the bone shearing or snapping.
    • The bones in different parts of the body serve different structural functions and are prone to different stresses.
  • Speed of Sound

    • There are two different kinds of sound waves: compression waves and shear waves.
    • Compression waves can travel through any media, but shear waves can only travel through solids.
    • The speed of a compression wave is determined by the media's compression capacity, shear modulus, and density, while the speed of the shear wave is only determined by the shear modulus and density.
    • The shear modulus is a measurement of the elasticity or rigidity of a material.
  • Kelvin-Helmholtzor Shearing Instability

  • Air Wedge

    • An air wedge is one of the simplest designs of shearing interferometers used to visualize the disturbance of the wave front after propagation through a test object.
  • Thermal Stresses

    • Thermal stress is created when a change in size or volume is constrained due to a change in temperature.
    • Thermal stress is created by thermal expansion or contraction.
    • Thermal stress can be destructive, such as when expanding gasoline ruptures a tank.
    • Forces and pressures created by thermal stress can be quite large.
    • Another example of thermal stress is found in the mouth.
  • Blood Flow

    • Normal plasma behaves like a Newtonian fluid at rates of shear.
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