In solid mechanics, shearing forces are unaligned forces pushing one part of a body in one specific direction, and another part of the body in the opposite direction. When the forces are colinear, they are called compression forces.

What is meant by shear force?

Shear force is a force acting in a direction that's parallel to (over the top of) a surface or cross section of a body, like the pressure of air flow over an airplane wing.

What is shear force in simple words?

A shear force is a force applied perpendicular to a surface, in opposition to an offset force acting in the opposite direction. This results in a shear strain. In simple terms, one part of the surface is pushed in one direction, while another part of the surface is pushed in the opposite direction.