Which term refers to the ability of a material to withstand pulling forces before breaking?

• A. Ductility
• B. Hardness
• C. Toughness
• D. Tensile Strength

Answer: (D)

When a material is pulled, the key measure is how much pulling stress it can endure before it breaks. This is described by tensile strength—the maximum tensile stress a material can withstand prior to fracture. It’s found from a tensile test as the peak load divided by the original cross-sectional area, giving a property that’s intrinsic to the material (measured in MPa). This distinguishes it from ductility, which is about how much plastic deformation (stretching) occurs before breaking; hardness, which is resistance to surface indentation; and toughness, which is the total energy absorbed up to fracture (the area under the stress–strain curve). So the term that best fits “ability to withstand pulling forces before breaking” is tensile strength.