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Equation 8 · Part 1 · Why Materials Fail: Fracture, Flaws and the Inspection Interval

Symbol gamma_s

γs\gamma_s
γs\gamma_s

What this part means

the modulus e and surface energy.

Its job in the formula

gammasa_s is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.

Where the article explains it

For a through-thickness crack of half-length a in a linear-elastic plate with modulus E and surface energy γs\gamma_s , the critical remote stress is

The passage around this formula

Griffith’s criterion is an accounting statement. Extending a crack by a small increment releases stored elastic strain energy from the material that unloads around the new crack faces, and consumes energy in creating those faces. If the release exceeds the cost, extension is spontaneous and the crack runs. For a through-thickness crack of half-length a in a linear-elastic plate with modulus E and surface energy γs\gamma_s , the critical remote stress is

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A subscript is a label attached below a symbol. It often selects a time step, component, category, or member of a sequence.

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