Which statement describes how annealing affects internal stresses?

Which statement describes how annealing affects internal stresses?

• A. Increases internal stress
• B. Decreases internal stress
• C. Has no effect on internal stress
• D. Eliminates all stress

Answer: (B)

Annealing relieves internal stresses by giving the material time and mobility to rearrange its crystal structure. When metal is heated, atoms gain movement and dislocations can move and reorient toward a lower-energy state. During slow cooling, new grains form and distortions from prior processing relax, so the residual stress that built up during shaping or work is reduced. This makes the metal softer and more ductile. It doesn’t remove every trace of stress—some residual stress can remain depending on how the metal was processed—but the overall effect is a decrease in internal stresses.

Annealing relieves internal stresses by giving the material time and mobility to rearrange its crystal structure. When metal is heated, atoms gain movement and dislocations can move and reorient toward a lower-energy state. During slow cooling, new grains form and distortions from prior processing relax, so the residual stress that built up during shaping or work is reduced. This makes the metal softer and more ductile. It doesn’t remove every trace of stress—some residual stress can remain depending on how the metal was processed—but the overall effect is a decrease in internal stresses.