Material Properties

  • There are a variety of terms that can be used to describe a material.

    • Hard - Can scratch or indent, and withstands being scratched
    • Brittle - Breaks without plastic deformation
    • Ductile - Can be drawn into a wire
    • Malleable - Can be reshaped
    • Elastic - Returns to its original shape after being deformed
    • Plastic - Does not return to its original shape after being deformed
    • Strong - Widthstands large static loads without breaking
    • Tough - Withstands large dynamic loads without breaking
    • Stiff - Resists deforming by tension or compression
  • Strong materials can withstand large static loads whilst tough materials can withstand large dynamic loads.

  • Tensile Strength is the force that is used to stretch a sample at any time while the Ultimate Tensile Strength is the force required to break it.

Written by Sam Adam-Day.