Residual stress

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/residual-stress

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the fundamental principle?Self-equilibrating internal stresses remaining after external loads are removed
2. What is the key generation mechanisms?Plastic deformation, non-uniform thermal expansion/contraction, and phase transformations
3. Why do residual stresses happen in materials?Residual stresses happen when a material is shaped or heated and then cools unevenly, or when it is bent or hammered too hard. The uneven changes leave tiny forces inside that balance each other out.
4. How can residual stresses affect things like bridges or toys?Residual stresses can change how strong a bridge or a toy is. They can make a part break faster if they pull apart, or they can help it last longer if they push together.

Self-Equilibrating Stresses: Internal stresses that balance each other within a body, summing to zero across any section.
Inelastic Deformation: Permanent deformation of a material that does not return to its original shape after stress is removed.
Stress Corrosion Cracking: A type of environmental degradation that occurs when a susceptible material is exposed to a corrosive environment under tensile stress.