How does iambic pentameter organize stresses and syllables?

In prosody, iambic pentameter is a rhythmic structure consisting of a line of ten syllables organized into five metrical feet known as iambs.1

Each iambic foot follows a specific pattern: one unstressed syllable followed by one stressed syllable. This sequence creates a steady, heartbeat-like rhythm that has served as the predominant metre in English verse since the 16th century. While the structure is defined by this consistent unstressed-stressed beat, poets often introduce variety into the rhythm by substituting other types of metrical feet.12

This form can be utilized in various ways, appearing in rhymed structures like sonnets and heroic couplets, or in unrhymed blank verse.1