Engineering English
Bending Moment
Engineering Fundamentals · Aerospace Engineering · Civil Engineering · Mechanical Engineering · Last updated: July 30, 2026 · How this entry was written
Definition: Bending moment is the internal moment that causes a structural member to bend. It is a fundamental parameter in the design of beams and frames.
Example in context
“The bending moment at mid-span reaches its maximum value for a simply supported beam under a uniform load.”
“Düzgün yayılı yük altındaki basit mesnetli bir kirişte, orta açıklıktaki eğilme momenti maksimum değerine ulaşır.”
Where engineers use it
Engineers use bending moment diagrams to locate critical sections in beams where reinforcement or section size must be increased. It is fundamental in structural and mechanical design.
In Aerospace Engineering
Bending moment is the internal moment that causes a structural member to bend under transverse loads. It is calculated along the span of beams such as wing spars and fuselage frames to determine required section modulus.
“The maximum bending moment occurs at the wing root during the design ultimate load condition and dictates the spar cap area.”
In Civil Engineering
The internal moment at a section of a structural member that causes it to bend, equal to the sum of moments of all forces on one side of the section.
“The maximum bending moment occurs at midspan of the simply supported beam under uniform loading.”
In Mechanical Engineering
Bending moment is the internal moment that causes a beam or member to bend. It is calculated as the algebraic sum of moments about a section.
“The maximum bending moment occurs at the fixed support of a cantilever beam under a uniform load.”
Practice: can you use “Bending Moment” at work?
A bridge engineer reviews the bending moment envelope for a continuous girder to decide where to place additional steel reinforcement.
Show a model answer
“The bending moment at the fixed end is the largest and governs the design.”
“Bending Moment” in 21 languages
| English | Bending Moment |
|---|---|
| Turkish | eğilme momenti |
| French | moment fléchissant |
| German | Biegemoment |
| Spanish | momento flector |
| Chinese | 弯矩 |
| Arabic | عزم الانحناء |
| Portuguese | momento fletor |
| Russian | изгибающий момент |
| Japanese | 曲げモーメント |
| Italian | momento flettente |
| Vietnamese | mô men uốn |
| Hindi | बंकन आघूर्ण |
| Thai | โมเมนต์ดัด |
| Indonesian | momen lentur |
| Korean | 휨 모멘트 |
| Bengali | নমন মোমেন্ট |
| Dutch | buigend moment |
| Swedish | böjmoment |
| Finnish | taivutusmomentti |
| Ukrainian | згинальний момент |
Frequently asked questions
What does Bending Moment mean in engineering?
Bending moment is the internal moment that causes a structural member to bend. It is a fundamental parameter in the design of beams and frames. In Engineering Fundamentals, the term carries a usage-frequency rating of 10/10 in the Engineering English library.
How do you pronounce Bending Moment?
Bending Moment is pronounced /ˈbendɪŋ ˈmoʊmənt/ (IPA). The Engineering English app plays audio for the term and checks your pronunciation with speech recognition.
How is Bending Moment used in a sentence?
Example from an engineering context: “The bending moment at mid-span reaches its maximum value for a simply supported beam under a uniform load.”
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