Alberta Boilers Safety Association (ABSA) Practice Test

What type of stress is produced by external tensile forces acting parallel but not in line?

1. Tensile stress

2. Compressive stress

3. Working stress

4. Shear stress

The correct answer is: Shear stress

The correct answer pertains to shear stress, which occurs when external tensile forces are applied parallel to each other but are not directly aligned. When such forces act on a material, they tend to cause layers of the material to slide past one another, resulting in deformation. Shear stress can be quantified as the force applied per unit area that is tangential to the surface of an object. Unlike tensile stress, which pulls materials apart, or compressive stress, which pushes materials together, shear stress specifically involves forces that initiate side-to-side motion. This understanding is crucial in fields such as engineering and construction, where materials may experience different types of stress based on their application and load conditions. In the context of the other options: while tensile stress relates to loading that stretches a material, compressive stress applies forces that push material together. Working stress is a more generalized term referring to the actual stress experienced by a material during normal operation, encompassing a variety of stress types, but it does not specifically describe the scenario presented in the question.