Stress states collapse to Mohr circles on the σₙ–σₛ plane.
- Hydrostatic pressure appears as a lone point;
- Uniaxial compression or tension yields a single circle rooted at the origin;
- Confined axial and triaxial fields generate nested circles whose diameters equal principal differences;
- Pure shear centers at zero mean stress;
- Differential stress is simply σ₁ − σ₃;
- Pore pressure p_f shifts every circle leftward to give effective stress.
Principal matrices sit beside each plot.
From the same constructions, tectonicists forecast crustal faults and mining engineers gauge tunnel stability.