Bending Stress
Description
In Applied mechanics, bending (also known as flexure) characterizes the behavior of a slender structural element subjected to an external load applied perpendicularly to a longitudinal axis of the element.
The structural element is assumed to be such that at least one of its dimensions is a small fraction, typically 1/10 or less, of the other two. When the length is considerably longer than the width and the thickness, the element is called a beam.
The classic formula for determining the bending stress in a beam under simple bending is shown here.
Variables
| σ | bending stress (N/m2) |
| M | moment about the neutral axis (N*m) |
| y | perpendicular distance to the neutral axis (m) |
| Ix | second moment of area about the neutral axis x (m4) |