Final answer:
The Factor of Safety (FofS) represents the ratio by which the strength of a system exceeds the applied loads, ensuring safety. The correct answer to the question is D) Safe working stress, which is the stress level that a material or system can withstand safely within the limits set by the Factor of Safety.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Factor of Safety (FofS) is a term used in engineering to describe the level of additional strength in a system beyond the expected maximum load to ensure the system remains safe under unforeseen or unpredictable conditions. When discussing tensile strength, which is the breaking stress that can cause permanent deformation or fracture of a material, the Factor of Safety is not directly related to the maximum allowable stress, yield stress, or ultimate tensile stress itself. Instead, it is the ratio by which the strength of a system or component exceeds the actual loads or stresses applied to it.
The correct answer to the question 'What does Factor of Safety (FofS) represent?' is D) Safe working stress. The Factor of Safety is applied to the strength of a material or design to determine the safe working stress, which ensures that the system can handle load variations, material defects, and changes in environmental conditions without failure.