EngiRef / Mechanical Engineering Formula

Shear Stress

Shear Stress: Average shear stress from transverse force. A Statics formula in mechanical engineering. Variables τ, V and A, each with SI and imperial units.

Statics

Specification

Name
Shear Stress
Discipline
mechanical
Category
Statics
LaTeX
\tau = \frac{V}{A}
Description
Average shear stress from transverse force
Conditions
Average over the specified shear area
Can solve for
τ, V, A
Tags
shear, stress, transverse

Variables

Variables for Shear Stress
SymbolNameUnitSi UnitImperial Unit
τShear StressPaPapsi
VShear ForceNNlbf
AShear Areain²

Common questions

What is the Shear Stress formula?
Average shear stress from transverse force. It sits under Statics, Mechanical engineering in the EngiRef reference.
What do the symbols in the Shear Stress formula mean?
In Shear Stress, τ is shear stress in Pa; V is shear force in N; A is shear area in m².
When does the Shear Stress formula apply?
Shear Stress holds under this condition: Average over the specified shear area.