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How do tensile stress, compressive stress, and hydrostatic pressure differ?

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Figure 1: The position vector x and the velocity vector v of a material point, the body force fdV acting on an element dV of volume, and the surface force TdS acting on an element dS of surface in a Cartesian coordinate system 1, 2, 3 (see text).
mechanics of solids Figure 1: The position vector x and the velocity vector v of a material point, the body force fdV acting on an element dV of volume, and the surface force TdS acting on an element dS of surface in a Cartesian coordinate system 1, 2, 3 (see text).

In the study of mechanics of solids, tensile stress, compressive stress, and hydrostatic pressure are all forms of normal stressā€”force applied perpendicular to a surfaceā€”but they differ based on the direction and distribution of the applied forces.12

  • Tensile stress occurs when a material is pulled lengthwise by oppositely directed forces, effectively stretching it.1
  • Compressive stress results from forces acting in the opposite direction, tending to crush or shorten an elastic body along one dimension.13
  • Hydrostatic pressure occurs when forces are applied perpendicularly to all surfaces of a material simultaneously, such as when an object is immersed in a fluid. Unlike the directional nature of tensile or compressive stress, hydrostatic pressure acts uniformly from all directions.1

These stresses are fundamental to understanding how materials respond to external loads, whether they undergo elastic deformation or reach a yield stress that leads to permanent change.1