Solid Mechanics

Prof. Ajeet Kumar

Deptt. of Applied Mechanics
IIT, Delhi

Lecture - 9
Mohr’s Circle

Abstract
In the last two lectures, we have learnt about planes on which normal and shear components
of traction are maximized/minimized. In this lecture, we will discuss about Mohr’s circle, a
graphical technique to find components of traction on arbitrary planes at a point.

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1 Conditions for applying Mohr’s Circle (start time: 00:26)

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Mohr’s circle is a graphical way to find normal and shear components of traction on arbitrary planes.
The only restriction is that the plane normal has to be perpendicular to one of the principal stress

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directions. Accordingly, let us consider a coordinate system such that the third coordinate axis
um
is along one of the principal stress directions (the rest two coordinate axes need not be along any
principal direction, also see Figure 1) and we are looking at planes whose normals are perpendicular
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to the third principal direction. Then, all such plane normals will have n3 = 0. On such planes,
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we want to find the normal and shear components of traction (see Figure 2). The stress matrix
Aj

in this coordinate system will be such that its column will be formed by traction on the plane
along third coordinate axis. But that being a principal plane, the third column will not have any
f.

shear component. Hence, the third column will have its last entry nonzero but the other two zero.
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Symmetry of stress matrix will further force the first two entries of last row to be zero, i.e.,
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 
× × 0
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σ = × × 0  . (1)
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0 0 ×
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Also, the normal vectors of the plane on which we want to obtain normal and shear components
will look like  
  ×
n = × . (2)
0

2 Deriving formulas for normal and shear components on

such planes (start time: 04:19)
Let us draw a cuboid element at the point of interest with its face normals along the coordinate
system (see Figure 1). As discussed earlier, the third coordinate axis (e3 ) is along the third principal
direction. We will call e1 , e2 and e3 axes as x, y and z axes, respectively. On the e1 plane, we

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(principal axis)

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um
Figure 1: The cuboid with face normals along the three coordinate axes. The third coordinate axis
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is also a principal direction. The traction components are also shown.

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have normal component of traction denoted as σxx and shear component of traction denoted as τyx
pointing towards y axis. The third component (τzx ) is absent as per the stress representation (1).
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Similarly, on the e2 plane, we have τxy (same as τyx ) and on the e3 plane, we have σzz (equal to λ3 )
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only. On the −e1 plane, the normal component is σxx in −x direction and shear component is τyx
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in −y direction and likewise for other two negative planes.

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2.1 Reducing the cuboidal representation of state of stress to a square

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(start time: 07:53)

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There is another simpler way to draw such a state of stress for whom there are no shear components
in the third direction: we can just draw a square instead of a cube where the sides of the square
denote the faces of the cuboid as shown in Figure 2. The right edge of the square represents the
(+e1 ) face. Similarly, the top edge represents +e2 face and the plane of the square itself represents
e3 face. So, the plane containing the square has just one traction component σzz . We use a dot
enclosed by a circle to denote the traction component coming out of the plane as shown in Figure
2. On the edges of the square, we have both the shear and the normal components of traction. On
the right edge, representing e1 face, we have σxx and τyx (which is equal to τxy in magnitude). So,
we will just write τxy to denote both τyx and τxy . On the top edge, representing e2 face, we have
τxy and σyy . Keep in mind that such a reduce to square to represent stress matrix is possible only
when the third coordinate axis lies along one of the principal directions.

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um
Figure 2: A square with its sides representing the faces of the cuboid. Traction components are
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also drawn.
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2.2 Trigonometric formula for σ and τ (start time: 11:04)

f.

Now, our goal is to calculate the normal and shear components of traction on planes whose normals
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are perpendicular to e3 . The blue line in Figure 2 shows a general plane of such kind. The normal
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to this plane is represented by n and assume that it makes an angle α with e1 axis. To get to this
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arbitrary plane n, we can rotate our e1 plane by α about the e3 axis. The column representation of
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n in this coordinate system (e1 , e2 , e3 ) will be

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 
cos(α)
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n = sin(α) . (3)
0

An important point to note here is that we have assumed the direction of τ on this plane makes
90◦ (anti clockwise) from the normal vector n (also see Figure 2). Now, σ will be given by
    
     σxx τxy 0 cos(α) ! cos(α)
σ= σ n · n =  τxy σyy 0  sin(α) · sin(α)
0 0 σzz 0 0

= σxx cos2 (α) + 2τxy sin(α)cos(α) + σyy sin2 (α). (4)

To get τ , we need to first represent the direction along which it is acting which we denote by n⊥ . If
we look at Figure 2, we can find the angle that n⊥ makes with all the three axes. The representation

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of n⊥ will thus be  
−sin(α)
n⊥ =  cos(α)  . (5)
0
  
Now, to get τ , we need to take the component of total traction ( σ n ) on this plane along the
n⊥ direction, i.e.,
    
     σxx τxy 0 cos(α) ! −sin(α)
τ = σ n · n⊥ =  τxy σyy 0  sin(α) ·  cos(α) 
0 0 σzz 0 0

= −σxx cos(α)sin(α) − τxy sin2 (α) + τxy cos2 (α) + σyy cos(α)sin(α) (6)

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Upon doing some algebraic manipulation in equation (4), we get

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σxx + σyy 2 1 2 1
σ= + σxx cos (α) − + σyy sin (α) − + 2τxy sin(α)cos(α). (7)

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2 2 2
Further, using the following trigonometric identities:

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cos(2α) = cos2 (α) − sin2 (α) = 2cos2 (α) − 1 = 1 − 2sin2 (α),
um (8)
sin(2α) = 2sin(α)cos(α), (9)
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we obtain
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σxx + σyy cos(2α) cos(2α)

σ = + σxx − σyy + τxy sin(2α)
2 2 2
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σxx + σyy σxx − σyy

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= + cos(2α) + τxy sin(2α) (10)

2 2
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Similar rearrangements and simplifications using trigonometric identities (8) and (9) in equation
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(6) gives us  
σxx − σyy
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τ =− sin(2α) + τxy cos(2α) (11)

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2.3 Introducing Graphical Parameters (start time: 23:42)

If we look at equations (10) and (11), we notice that σ and τ both have cos(2α) and sin(2α) terms.
Let us define a scalar R as s 2
σxx − σyy 2
R= + τxy (12)
2
We can now think of a right angled triangle with hypotenuse R and the two perpendicular arms as
σxx − σyy
and τxy as shown in Figure 3. Let us denote the angle between the hypotenuse and the
2
base as 2φ. Thus, from basic trigonometry, we see that
σxx − σyy τxy 2τxy
cos(2φ) = , sin(2φ) = , tan(2φ) = (13)
2R R σxx − σyy

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 σxx − σyy
Figure 3: A right angled triangle with the two arms as and τxy .
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Using equation (13) in equations (10) and (11), we get

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σxx + σyy  
σ = + R cos(2φ)cos(2α) + sin(2φ)sin(2α)
h 2

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τ = R − cos(2φ)sin(2α) + sin(2φ)sin(2α) (14)
um
Upon further using following trigonometric identities:
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cos(a − b) = cos(a)cos(b) + sin(a)sin(b), (15)

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sin(a − b) = sin(a)cos(b) − cos(a)sin(b), (16)

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we get
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σxx + σyy
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σ = + Rcos(2φ − 2α)
2
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(17)
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τ = Rsin(2φ − 2α)
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These are the formulae obtained for getting σ and τ on a plane making an angle α with e1 axis. For
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a given stress matrix, we can find out R and φ using equations (12) and (13) respectively. Then,
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using equation (17), we can find σ and τ on the plane which is obtained by rotating e1 by angle α
about e3 axis. Let us try to represent the above two formulas graphically.

3 Graphical representation of the derived formulation (start

time: 31:07)
We need to see what equation (17) means. Let us think of a σ − τ plane and plot σ and τ for
each α in this plane. The plane with σ on the x-axis and τ on the y-axis is shown in Figure 4.
From equation
 (17), wecan see that by plotting all points, we will get a circle centered on the
σxx + σyy
σ axis at , 0 . Let us start by plotting σxx and σyy on the σ axis. The center of the
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circle is thus at the mid point of the two points. We also plot τxy on the τ axis. Now, we can

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Figure 4: σ − τ plane with various parameters plotted on it.

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plot the point (σxx , τxy ) which corresponds to e1 plane. If we join this point with the center, the
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line obtained will give us the radius of the circle. This is because the circle has to pass through
the point corresponding to e1 plane: the circle is the locus of all (σ, τ ) when α is varied and the
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point corresponding to e1 plane is obtained for α = 0. We can also verify that the radius R that
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we obtained graphically also matches with the formula for R in equation (12).1 .
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3.1 Mohr’s Circle (start time: 34:09)

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Once we have obtained the radius and the center of the circle, we can draw the complete circle
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as shown in Figure 5. This circle is called the Mohr’s circle. When we compare the right angled
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triangle in Figure 5 with Figure 3, we see that the angle that the line from center to the point
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corresponding to e1 plane makes with the σ axis would be 2φ. To find σ and τ on any arbitrary
plane (for general α), let us look at equation (17): the angle in the cosine and sine terms there is
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(2φ − 2α). So, for a general plane, the argument in the trigonometric function there reduces by
2α. So, the radial line from the center to the point corresponding to the α-plane on Mohr’s circle
should be at an angle of (2φ − 2α) from the x-axis. Thus, we can obtain the point corresponding
to α-plane on Mohr’s circle by going in the clockwise direction by angle 2α from the e1 -plane point
as shown in Figure 5.

We summarize below the steps involved in drawing the Mohr’s circle and finding the point core-
sponding to α-plane:
 
σxx + σyy
1. Draw the center of the circle at ,0 .
2
1
In the right angled triangle shown in Figure 4, if we apply the Pythagoras theroem to find the hypotenuse, i.e.,
R, we get the same expression as the algebraic expression for R in (12)

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um
Figure 5: Mohr’s circle plot
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2. Draw (σ, τ ) for e1 plane, i.e. the point (σxx , τxy ).

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3. the line joining the center and the point for e1 plane forms the radius of the circle.
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4. With center and radius known, draw your circle!

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5. To find (σ, τ ) for α-plane, rotate the radial line of e1 plane by 2α clockwise.
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Notice that the normal to the required plane made an angle α with e1 in the counter clockwise
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direction (also see Figure 2). But on the Mohr’s circle, we draw that point by rotating by 2α in the
clockwise direction from the point corresponding to the e1 plane. This is because in equation (17),
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we have 2α with a minus sign in the trigonometric functions. So, clockwise rotation of the plane
corresponds to counter-clockwise rotation in the Mohr’s circle and vice versa.

4 Sign convention while using Mohr’s cirle (start time:

42:40)
Let ys draw the Mohr’s circle again as shown in Figure 6. We know the point corresponding to
the e1 plane. To get to the e2 plane, α should be 90◦ in the counter-clockwise direction. So, in the
Mohr’s circle, we need to go 180◦ in the clockwise direction from e1 plane. Thus, we get the e2 plane
at the diametrically opposite point with respect to e1 plane point. The two right angled triangles
in Figure 6 are similar and thus, we get σ at this point as σyy as required but τ as −τxy . However,
in Figure 2, we see that on e2 plane, shear component is τxy . So, why are we getting −τxy from the

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Figure 6: Mohr’s circle with important quantities marked on it.

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Mohr’s circle? This is because of our convention for the shear component of traction. In Figure 2,
f.

we had defined positive τ when we go 90◦ in the counter clockwise direction from n. So, to get shear
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component on e2 plane, we go 90◦ in the anti-clockwise direction from e2 direction and thus, get
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to the −e1 direction. So, Mohr’s circle is giving us τ on e2 plane in the −e1 direction whereas τxy ,
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by definition, is the shear component in the +e1 direction.Therefore, Mohr’s circle gives us −τxy as
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the shear traction on e2 plane. We can remember that this negative sign comes because n⊥ for e2
plane is along −e1 direction by convention.
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5 Other conclusions that can be drawn using Mohr’s circle

(start time: 48:57)
We can also get the maximum and minimum values of σ and τ using Mohr’s circle. The maximum
and minimum values of σ are attained on the σ axis itself. These are plotted in Figure 6. The max-
imum and minimum values of τ are on the top and bottom of the circle respectively as highlighted
in Figure 6. We can verify that these values match with the ones derived in the last lecure. Suppose
that the principal stress components λ1 , λ2 and λ3 are defined such that λ1 > λ2 > λ3 . Thus, λ1
and λ2 will correspond to the points of maximum σ and minimum σ respectively. From the circle,

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λ1 and λ2 will be obtained by adding and subtracting R to the σ for center respectively, i.e.,
σxx + σyy
λ1 = +R (18)
2
σxx + σyy
λ2 = −R (19)
2
This allows us to get the value of principal stress components directly from the Mohr’s circle:
otherwise one has to solve an eigenvalue problem. Writing the center of the circle in terms of
principal stress components, we obtain
 
λ1 + λ2
Center= ,0 (20)
2

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We can also get the radius of the circle in terms of principal stress components by subtracting

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equation (19) from equation (18), i.e.,
λ1 − λ2
R= (21)

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Notice that in the previous lecture, we had derived the maximum value of shear component of

,
λ1 − λ2 λ1 − λ2

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traction to be . And from Mohr’s circle too, we get τmax = R =
um . From the Mohr’s
2 2
cicrle, we can also see that σ corresponding to the point where we have maximum shear will be the
λ1 + λ2
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same as σ for the center of the circle, i.e. . This is the same value that we had derived in
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the previous lecture. We have thus verified our results of the Mohr’s circle.
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