Concept:
Griffith’s theory of brittle fracture is based on crack propagation and energy balance. It states that fracture occurs when the stress at a crack reaches a critical value sufficient to propagate the crack.
Step 1: Griffith criterion.
For a crack of length $2a$, fracture occurs when:
\[
\sigma_c = \sqrt{\frac{2E\gamma}{\pi a}}
\]
where:
• $E$ = Young’s modulus
• $\gamma$ = surface energy
• $a$ = crack half-length
Step 2: Physical meaning.
Fracture occurs when normal stress on crack plane exceeds critical stress required to create new surfaces.
Final Answer:
\[
\boxed{\text{Griffith law}}
\]