Final answer:
Shear strength and tensile strength are material properties. While most materials have a lower shear modulus compared to their Young's modulus, bones are an exception, displaying a high shear modulus similar to that of steel. Materials like concrete have low shear resistance, contrasting with the high shear and tensile strengths of steel and steel-reinforced concrete.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question of whether the shear strength of a metal is usually greater than its tensile strength requires examination of the particular material properties. For most materials, their shear moduli, which is a measure of a material’s ability to resist shear stress, are generally less than their Young’s moduli, referring to the material’s stiffness. An interesting exception is bone, whose shear modulus is not only greater than its Young's modulus but is also comparable to steel. This is key to how bones can be long and thin yet able to support substantial loads. In the case of materials like concrete and brick, their shear moduli are very low, which means they are not resistant to shear forces and can crack or crumble under such stresses. On the other hand, steel and steel-reinforced concrete have made modern structures possible due to their high resistance against both compression and shear forces.