Core of a Cross Section

in the strength of materials, a region around the center of gravity of the cross section of a rod. The core of a cross section bounded by a closed contour has the property that a longitudinal force applied to any point of the core causes a stress of one sign in the section (seeECCENTRIC TENSION-COMPRESSION OF A ROD). The shape and size of the core of a cross section are specified by the shape and size of the rod. The determination of the core of a cross section is especially important in the designing of rods made of materials that have different tensile and compressive strengths.