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What is stress?  When a body gets deformed under the action of some external  force , internal forces are set up within the body which tends to bring the body back to initial position. The magnitude of this internal force depends upon the deformation produced. Within a certain limit (called elastic limit-a limit up to which the material of a body posses the property of elasticity), the internal force is proportional to deformation produced. As deformation increases, the internal force also increases. At the equilibrium position, the internal force is equal in magnitude but opposite in direction to the deforming force. This internal force per unit area of the deformed body is called stress. Because, in the equilibrium position, the internal restoring force is equal to the deforming force, hence quantitatively stress is equal to the deforming force acting per unit area of the deformed body. If F be the deforming force applied on a cross-sectional area A, we have  Stre...