Breaking Stress

Key Stage 5

Meaning

Breaking stress is the stress required to break a material (also known as ultimate tensile stress).

About Breaking Stress

• Breaking stress is the maximum stress a material can withstand before failure.
• Breaking stress is measured in pascals (Pa).
• Breaking stress indicates the strength of a material.
• Breaking stress is dependent on the material's composition, structure and temperature.

Examples

• Steel has a high breaking stress, making it suitable for construction.
• Glass has a low breaking stress and is more prone to breaking under tension.