A hacksaw blade will bend and break when:

A hacksaw blade will bend and break when:

• A. The tension on it is too great
• B. The blade is dull
• C. The blade is too long
• D. The blade is incorrectly aligned

Answer: (A)

Hacksaw blades are thin strips that act like springs when they’re held under tension. They’re designed to stay straight and resist bending only if the tension is within a specific range. If you apply more tension than the blade is rated to handle, the stress on the metal can exceed its strength, causing it to crack and eventually break. This is the failure mode most associated with excessive tension. A dull blade, improper length, or misalignment can cause poor cutting or wobble, but they don’t directly cause bending and breaking through over-stress in the same way that too much tension does.

Hacksaw blades are thin strips that act like springs when they’re held under tension. They’re designed to stay straight and resist bending only if the tension is within a specific range. If you apply more tension than the blade is rated to handle, the stress on the metal can exceed its strength, causing it to crack and eventually break. This is the failure mode most associated with excessive tension. A dull blade, improper length, or misalignment can cause poor cutting or wobble, but they don’t directly cause bending and breaking through over-stress in the same way that too much tension does.