An aircraft component is fabricated from an aluminum alloy that has a plane strain fracture toughness of 40 MPa . It has been determined that fracture results at a stress of 300 MPa when the maximum (or critical) internal crack length is 4.0 mm (0.16 in.). For this same component and alloy, will fracture occur at a stress level of 260 MPa when the maximum internal crack length is 6.0 mm (0.24 in.)? Why or why not?
