In science, buckling is a mathematical instability, leading to a failure mode. Buckling is characterized by a sudden sideways failure of a structural member subjected to high compressive stress, where the compressive stress at the point of failure is less than the ultimate compressive stress that the material is capable of withstanding. Mathematical analysis of buckling often makes use of an "artificial" axial load eccentricity that introduces a secondary bending moment that is not a part of the primary applied forces being studied. As an applied load is increased on a member, such as a column, it will ultimately become large enough to cause the member to become unstable and is said to have buckled. Further load will cause significant and somewhat unpredictable deformations, possibly leadi