Engineering
Advanced

Bending Stress

Stress in a beam due to bending.

Formula

σ=MyI\sigma = \frac{My}{I}

Variables

MBending moment
yDistance from neutral axis
IMoment of area

Example

Deeper beams resist bending far better — stress falls as the section gets taller.

Did You Know?

Bending stress is highest at a beam's outer surface — which is why cracks start there.

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