In materials science, the '''strength''' of a [[material]] refers to the material's ability to withstand an applied [[stress]] without failure. Yield strength refers to the point on the engineering stress-strain curve (as opposed to true stress-strain curve) beyond which the material begins deformation that cannot be reversed upon removal of the loading. <u>Ultimate strength</u> refers to the point on the engineering stress-strain curve corresponding to the maximum stress. The applied stress may be tensile, compressive, or shear. | In materials science, the '''strength''' of a [[material]] refers to the material's ability to withstand an applied [[stress]] without failure. Yield strength refers to the point on the engineering stress-strain curve (as opposed to true stress-strain curve) beyond which the material begins deformation that cannot be reversed upon removal of the loading. <u>Ultimate strength</u> refers to the point on the engineering stress-strain curve corresponding to the maximum stress. The applied stress may be tensile, compressive, or shear. |