What is Shear stress?
[[File:SubsidedRoad.jpg|300px|thumb|A [[road]] destroyed by [[shear]].]] '''Shear stress''' is a [[stress (physics)|stress]] state where the stress is [[parallel]] to the surface of the material, as opposed to [[Tensile stress|normal stress]] when the stress is [[:en:Perpendicular|perpendicular]] to the surface. Shear stress is relevant to the[[motion (physics)| motion]] of [[fluid]]s upon surfaces, which result in the generation of shear stress. Also constructions in soil can fail due to shear; e.g., the weight of an earth-filled [[dam]] may cause the subsoil to collapse, like a small [[landslide]]. ==Related pages== * [[Scissors]] work by shear stress [[Category:Materials science]] {{physics-stub}}