Strength of a perfect crystal

• Slip is assumed to occur by translation of

one plane of atoms over another
• Reason able estimate of shear stress
required can be done by such a
movement in perfect crystal
• Therefore consider two planes of atoms
subjected to a homogeneous shear stress
• Shear stress is assumed to act in a slip
plane along the slip direction
• The distance between the atoms in the
slip direction is “b”
• The spacing between adjacent lattice is
“a”
• The shear stress cause a displacement “x”
in the slip direction between the pair of
adjacent lattice planes
• The shear stress is zero when
• Two planes are in coincidence, initial
stage
• When the two planes have move one
identity distance
• Atoms of the top plane are midway
between those of the bottom plane
• Shearing stress is a periodic function of the
displacement from zero at P,Q and R
• To a max value at b/4 and 3b/4
• Therefore shear stress may be expressed in the
sinusoidal variation in energy through out the
lattice