Final answer:
Yes, the spacing between parts being joined affects tensile strength by potentially changing stress distribution and reinforcement, which can lead to variations in the range of strain before reaching the breaking point.
Step-by-step explanation:
The spacing between the parts being joined can indeed affect the tensile strength of a material. Tensile strength refers to the breaking stress that will cause permanent deformation or fracture of a material. When the parts are not adequately spaced, it could impact the load distribution and create stress concentrations that might reduce the tensile strength.
Conversely, proper spacing acts as "reinforcement", increasing a range of strain values before the structure reaches its breaking point. Think of tensile stress as not being uniform along the length of an object such as a rod, where stress can vary from top to bottom depending on weight and attachment points, demonstrating significance in the spatial distribution of stress and therefore the importance of spacing between joined parts.