Final answer:
The bending which a beam or girder undergoes from its own weight or by reason of a load is called flexure or bending. When a beam or girder is subjected to a load, it experiences tensile stress (stretching) on the top section and compressive stress (compressing) on the bottom section.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bending which a beam or girder undergoes from its own weight or by reason of a load is called flexure or bending. When a beam or girder is subjected to a load, it experiences tensile stress (stretching) on the top section and compressive stress (compressing) on the bottom section. This can be observed when a long shelf sags under the weight of heavy books, where the top surface of the shelf is in compressive stress and the bottom surface is in tensile stress.