Q1: The ultimate strength in tension for steel is __________ times the ultimate strength in shear.

ANS:C - 1.5

When a material undergoes mechanical loading, it experiences various types of stress depending on the nature of the applied forces. Tensile stress occurs when forces act to stretch or elongate the material, while shear stress arises when forces are applied parallel to the surface, causing one part of the material to slide or deform relative to another part. In engineering applications, it's often essential to understand the relationship between the tensile and shear strengths of a material, especially for designing structures and components subjected to complex loading conditions. For many materials, including steel, the ultimate strength in tension (tensile strength) is typically higher than the ultimate strength in shear (shear strength). For steel, the ultimate tensile strength is commonly around 1.5 times greater than the ultimate shear strength. This relationship is an important consideration in structural engineering design, particularly for calculating factors of safety, determining load capacities, and ensuring structural integrity under various loading scenarios. Understanding the relationship between tensile and shear strengths allows engineers to design structures that can withstand both tensile and shear loads without failure, ensuring safety and reliability in various applications such as buildings, bridges, machinery, and vehicles.