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452 
Transformations of Stress and Strain
7.4  MOHR’S CIRCLE FOR PLANE STRESS
The circle used in the preceding section to derive some of the basic 
formulas relating to the transformation of plane stress was first 
introduced by the German engineer Otto Mohr (1835–1918) and is 
known as Mohr’s circle for plane stress. As you will see presently, 
this circle can be used to obtain an alternative method for the solu-
tion of the various problems considered in Secs. 7.2 and 7.3. This 
method is based on simple geometric considerations and does not 
require the use of specialized formulas. While originally designed 
for graphical solutions, it lends itself well to the use of a 
calculator.
  Consider a square element of a material subjected to plane 
stress (Fig. 7.15a), and let s
x
, s
y
, and t
xy
 be the components of the 
stress exerted on the element. We plot a point X of coordinates s
x
 
and 2t
xy
, and a point Y of coordinates s
y
 and 1t
xy
 (Fig. 7.15b). If 
t
xy
 is positive, as assumed in Fig. 7.15a, point X is located below the 
s axis and point Y above, as shown in Fig. 7.15b. If t
xy
 is negative, 
X is located above the s axis and Y below. Joining X and Y by a 
straight line, we define the point C of intersection of line XY with 
the s axis and draw the circle of center C and diameter XY. Noting 
that the abscissa of C and the radius of the circle are respectively 
equal to the quantities s
ave
 and R defined by Eqs. (7.10), we con-
clude that the circle obtained is Mohr’s circle for plane stress. Thus 
the abscissas of points A and B where the circle intersects the s axis 
represent respectively the principal stresses s
max
 and s
min
 at the 
point considered.
  We also note that, since tan (XCA) 5 2t
xy
y(s
x
 2 s
y
), the angle 
XCA is equal in magnitude to one of the angles 2u
p
 that satisfy Eq. 
(7.12). Thus, the angle u
p
 that defines in Fig. 7.15a the orientation 
of the principal plane corresponding to point A in Fig. 7.15b can be 
obtained by dividing in half the angle XCA measured on Mohr’s cir-
cle. We further observe that if s
x
 . s
y
 and t
xy
 . 0, as in the case 
considered here, the rotation that brings CX into CA is counterclock-
wise. But, in that case, the angle u
p
 obtained from Eq. (7.12) and 
defining the direction of the normal Oa to the principal plane is 
positive; thus, the rotation bringing Ox into Oa is also counterclock-
wise. We conclude that the senses of rotation in both parts of Fig. 7.15 
are the same; if a counterclockwise rotation through 2u
p
 is required 
to bring CX into CA on Mohr’s circle, a counterclockwise rotation 
through u
p
 will bring Ox into Oa in Fig. 7.15a.†
  Since Mohr’s circle is uniquely defined, the same circle can be 
obtained by considering the stress components s
x9
, s
y9
, and t
x9y9
, cor-
responding to the x9 and y9 axes shown in Fig. 7.16a. The point X9 of 
coordinates  s
x9
 and 2t
x9y9
, and the point Y9 of coordinates s
y9
 and 
1t
x9y9
, are therefore located on Mohr’s circle, and the angle X9CA in 
Fig. 7.16b must be equal to twice the angle x9Oa in Fig. 7.16a. Since, 
as noted before, the angle XCA is twice the angle xOa, it follows that 
†This is due to the fact that we are using the circle of Fig 7.8 rather than the circle of 
Fig. 7.7 as Mohr’s circle.
p
y
max
max
min
min
x
xy
O
x
a
b
y
(a)
Fig. 7.15  Mohr’s circle.
max
min
x
y
(b)
O
BA
Y ,
C
(
 
)
y
xy
(
 
2
p
)
X ,
x
xy
xy
(
 
)
1
2
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