What type of force must be applied to produce linear strain?

To produce linear strain in a material, tensile force is applied. Tensile force acts along the length of an object, attempting to stretch or elongate it. When a material experiences tensile stress, it responds by deforming in a way that is directly proportional to the applied load, leading to a change in length.

This is a fundamental concept in mechanics of materials and is governed by Hooke's Law, which states that the strain in a solid is proportional to the stress applied to it, within the elastic limit of that material. In practical terms, when a tensile force is applied, the material elongates uniformly along the direction of the force, thereby resulting in linear strain.

Bending, shearing, and torsional forces lead to different kinds of stress and strain. Bending causes a combination of tensile and compressive stresses depending on the position within the beam, shearing produces a more perpendicular deformation, and torsional forces result in twisting of the material. These types of forces do not result in linear strain because they interfere with the structure of the material in ways that do not promote simple elongation.