New York Low Pressure Boiler COF Practice

Which of the following is NOT a type of stress?

1. Compression

2. Shear

3. Tensile

4. Rotational

The correct answer is: Rotational

Stress in materials is a measure of the internal forces that develop within a body in response to external loads, temperature changes, and other factors. The three primary types of stress are compression, shear, and tensile. Compression stress occurs when forces push the material together, resulting in a decrease in volume. This type of stress commonly affects structural elements that bear loads, such as columns or beams under vertical forces. Tensile stress, on the other hand, is experienced when forces pull the material apart, leading to an increase in length. It is a critical factor to consider in applications where materials are subjected to stretching or pulling forces. Shear stress arises when forces act parallel to a surface, causing layers of material to slide past one another. This is often observed in materials subjected to forces acting in opposite directions. Rotational does not fit as a category of stress like the others because it refers to the motion of an object rather than an internal force within a material. While rotational forces can induce stresses, they are not classified as a type of stress themselves. Therefore, recognizing rotational as separate from the fundamental types of stress clarifies its distinction in the context of material behavior under load.