Tensile stress is produced by which kind of force?

• A. Compressive
• B. Shear
• C. Torsional
• D. Tensile

Answer: (D)

Tensile stress comes from pulling forces along the length of a material, trying to stretch it. When equal and opposite forces act along the axis, away from the center, the material experiences tension and elongation, with stress equal to the force divided by the cross-sectional area. This is different from compressive force, which pushes inward to shorten the member; shear, which acts parallel to a surface to cause sliding between layers; and torsional force, which twists the member. A cable under a load or a line under wind load illustrates tensile stress because the forces pull the material apart along its length.