Which outcome occurs when rapid thermal cycling causes embrittlement?

💡 Explanation

Increased crack propagation occurs because thermal cycling induces fatigue; the mechanism being repeated 'Expansion and Contraction'. This concentrates stress at grain boundaries, therefore cracks propagate preferentially along these weakened interfaces rather than through the grains themselves.

• Which constraint reduces Carnot engine efficiency most acutely?
• Which consequence occurs when lubricating oil viscosity increases in an engine?
• Which consequence results when a heat engine experiences exhaust backpressure?
• Which outcome results when regenerative braking efficiency degrades during repetitive stop-start city driving cycles in a hybrid vehicle?
• Which process limits electron coherence in quantum computing?
• Which undesirable outcome arises when unpolarized light encounters optical fiber imperfections?