Timber: Forces & Stresses
Design & Technology: AQA GCSE, topic 3.2.1
Forces & Stresses
In this section, we will discover how some papers and boards are manipulated to show strength and resistance.
Testing
- Materials need to be tested so they are fit for purpose and are functional.
- Every material can fit a certain product type but you must know its capabilities.
- Material testing allows this to happen; applied forces and stresses can allow us to test the capabilities of materials.
Forces
- Torsion - a twisting force applied to both or one end of a material.
- Shear - forces acting across the material in opposite directions.
- Tension - pulling force (outwards).
- Compression - pushing force which is inwards.
- Bending - forces at an angle in particular to sheet materials.