MTSU Aerospace Practice Test

What type of stress acts parallel to the surface?

Shear Tension Compression Bending

Correct Answer:

Shear

Explanation:

Stress that acts parallel to a surface is called shear stress. It happens when forces try to slide one portion of the material past another along the plane of the surface, causing layers to shear past each other and change the angle between them. This is different from tension or compression, which act normal to the surface and pull or push along the surface’s perpendicular direction. In bending, the primary effect is normal stress across the cross-section (tension on one side, compression on the other), though shear can also occur, the characteristic parallel-to-surface action is the hallmark of shear stress.

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