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.