In engineering mechanics, bending (also known as flexure) characterizes the behavior of a structural element subjected to a lateral load. A structural element subjected to bending is known as a beam. A closet rod sagging under the weight of clothes on clothes hangers is an example of a beam experiencing bending.
Bending produces reactive forces inside a beam as the beam attempts to accommodate the flexural load: in the case of the beam in Figure 1, the material at the top of the beam is being compressed while the materia ...
Beam bending is analyzed with the Euler-Bernoulli beam equation. The classic formula for determining the bending stress in a member is:
σ is the bending stress
M - the moment at the neutral axis
y - the perpendicular distance to the neutral axis
Ix - the second moment of inertia about the neutral axis x
This equation is valid only when the stress at the extreme fiber (i.e. the portion of the beam furthest from th ...
