Predicting failure of solid metal materials from first stage of cyclic stress

(Santa Barbara, Calif.) — Take a wire paperclip. Now, bend it back and forth in the same spot 15, maybe 20 times. Chances are the paperclip will have broken before you finish. This is due to what’s called metal fatigue, which occurs when a metal component is cyclically stressed until it fails.

Source: ScienceDaily.com