Which deformation method occurs when force is applied in opposite directions, causing shear between adjacent layers?

Which deformation method occurs when force is applied in opposite directions, causing shear between adjacent layers?

• A. Stability
• B. Tension
• C. Shear
• D. Bending

Answer: (C)

Shear deformation happens when forces push in opposite directions along parallel planes, causing adjacent layers to slide past one another along the plane between them. This parallel sliding changes shape without a major change in length, which is exactly what occurs when opposing forces cause a layer to shear relative to its neighbor. It’s different from tension, which pulls ends apart along the length and stretches the material, and from bending, which creates compression on one side and tension on the other as a moment curves the structure. Stability isn’t a deformation mode but the ability to resist movement under load, so it doesn’t describe this sliding mechanism. In biomechanics, you can imagine cartilage or intervertebral discs experiencing such sliding at the interfaces when joints glide.

Shear deformation happens when forces push in opposite directions along parallel planes, causing adjacent layers to slide past one another along the plane between them. This parallel sliding changes shape without a major change in length, which is exactly what occurs when opposing forces cause a layer to shear relative to its neighbor. It’s different from tension, which pulls ends apart along the length and stretches the material, and from bending, which creates compression on one side and tension on the other as a moment curves the structure. Stability isn’t a deformation mode but the ability to resist movement under load, so it doesn’t describe this sliding mechanism. In biomechanics, you can imagine cartilage or intervertebral discs experiencing such sliding at the interfaces when joints glide.