The figure shows Tau subscript max which is the shear stress on the outer surface of the shaft and c is the radius of the shaft. A torque T acts on the shaft.

The integral Aρ2 dA is given a special name — the polar moment of inertia J:

J=Aρ2 dA

and the relationship between the torque T transmitted by the shaft and the shear stress can be restated as:

T=dM=τmaxcAρ2 dA=τmaxcJ

An expression for the maximum shear stress can be obtained by rearranging this equation to give:

τmax=TcJ

This equation is known as the torsion formula.