##  [Griffith Fracture Criterion](/griffith-fracture-criterion) 

  ##  [Griffith Fracture Criterion](https://engineering.quantumdictionary.io/griffith-fracture-criterion-0) 

  

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**Engineering & Applied Technologies Dictionary**

 







 

 

 

 



 

 

 

 

Definition

An energy‑balance fracture criterion stating that a crack will propagate when the elastic energy released per unit new crack surface area (the energy release rate G) equals or exceeds the material’s critical energy release rate Gc; in linear elastic brittle solids Gc is often approximated by twice the surface energy, but Gc more generally includes all dissipation in the process zone.