How is the safety factor calculated if the safe working stress and ultimate strength are known?

The correct method to calculate the safety factor when the safe working stress and the ultimate strength are known involves dividing the ultimate strength by the safe working stress. The safety factor is a measure of the strength of a material relative to its intended load.

When you divide the ultimate strength, which is the maximum stress a material can withstand before failure, by the safe working stress, which is the maximum stress that can be applied without risking failure, you get a dimensionless number that indicates how much stronger the material is than what is considered safe. A higher safety factor means that there is a greater margin for error, which is crucial in engineering to ensure reliability and safety in applications.

This calculation helps engineers determine whether a material can safely handle the expected loads and stresses during its use. If the safety factor is too low, it would signal that the material may not be sufficient for the required application, prompting a reconsideration of material choice or structure design.