Why do bones break – Molecules Zone

Question: Why do bones break
- Keywords:
- Royal Society of Chemistry: Find out more about:
  
  body
  
  bone
  
  break
Asked by Tom to Alex, Anaïs, Peter, Sarwat, Shreesha on 6 Mar 2015.
- Sarwat Iqbal answered on 6 Mar 2015:
  
  Well that is an interesting question, not very much related with my area of research but I like the question so what I think is:
  Our bones are very tough — but even tough things can break. Like a wood stick, bones will bend under strain. But if the pressure is too much, or too sudden, bones can snap. You can break a bone by falling off a skateboard or crashing down from the monkey bars.
- Peter Maskell answered on 9 Mar 2015:
  
  The impact forces on a bone can exceed what the bone can take. It substance will have a limit to the forces they can withstand. sometimes things are only designed to withstand forces from a certain direction like carbon fiber in formula 1 cars.

Question: Why do bones break