Shear Forces

Shear forces are internal forces within a material or structure that cause parts of it to slide past each other in opposite directions. Imagine scissors cutting paper: the blades exert opposing forces that shear the paper into pieces. In engineering, shear forces act along a plane within a material, trying to deform or break it by sliding layers relative to each other. They are crucial for understanding how structures like beams, bridges, and machinery respond under load, ensuring designs can withstand these forces without failing.