Stress

Abstract The word stress has many different meanings depending on the context in which it is used. However, in mechanics, it has a precise meaning. Stress is a measure of force intensity in a material and may be described in terms of a force per unit area. It is important to differentiate stress from strain, which is a measure of the deformation of a material resulting from stress. Stress and strain are separate, but physically coupled entities, which are related mathematically by a constitutive equation.