Bauschinger Effect

The Bauschinger Effect is a phenomenon observed in materials like metals, where the material's strength in a certain direction decreases after it has been subjected to stress reversing direction. For example, if you stretch a metal and then compress it back, the metal becomes easier to deform in the opposite direction. This occurs because the initial deformation causes internal changes—like dislocations—making the material more susceptible to future deformation when the load is reversed. Understanding this effect is important in engineering, as it influences how materials behave under cyclic or reversing loads, affecting the design and durability of structures.