Enter the average shear stress and the cross-sectional area the force is applied to into the calculator to determine the shear force.

## Shear Force Formula

The following equation is used to calculate the Shear Force.

Fs = t *A

• Where Fs is the shear force (N)
• t is the average shear stress (N/m^2)
• A is the cross-sectional area (m^2)

To calculate a shear force, multiply the average shear stress by the cross-sectional area.

## What is a Shear Force?

Definition:

Shear force is a mechanical force that tends to produce a sliding failure on a material along a plane parallel to the direction of the force.

The shear stress, force per unit area, caused by this shear force can be resolved into two components, one parallel and the other perpendicular to this direction. The former produces elongation and the latter contraction.

## How to Calculate Shear Force?

Example Problem:

The following example outlines the steps and information needed to calculate the Shear Force.

First, determine the average shear stress. For this example problem, the average shear stress is measured to be 500N/m^2.

Next, determine the cross-sectional area of the stress. In this case, the cross sectional area is measured to be .50 m^2.

Finally, calculate the shear force using the formula above:

Fs = t *A

Fs = 500 * .50

Fs = 250 N