The transverse load P will produce a shear force V in the positive y direction on a mathematical cut through the beam at point “a”. This shear force is directly responsible for the shear stress τ on ...

In this video we explore bending and shear stresses in beams. A bending moment is the resultant of bending stresses, which are normal stresses acting perpendicular to the beam cross-section. We can ...

(Think a deck of playing cards.) Under the action of a transverse load we see below how the beam deflects in the absence of shear stiffness. Focus, in particular, on the deflection at the right end of ...