The document discusses bending stresses in beams. It describes how bending stresses are developed in beams to resist bending moments and shearing forces. The theory of pure bending is introduced, where only bending stresses are considered without the effect of shear. Equations for calculating bending stresses are derived based on the beam's moment of inertia, bending moment, and distance from the neutral axis. Several beam cross-section examples are provided to demonstrate how to calculate the maximum bending stress and section modulus.