Which property measures a material's ability to absorb energy before fracture?

Which property measures a material's ability to absorb energy before fracture?

• A. Ductility
• B. Hardness
• C. Toughness
• D. Elasticity

Answer: (C)

Toughness measures how much energy a material can absorb before it fractures. It’s the energy per unit volume, captured by the area under the stress–strain curve up to failure, so it reflects both the material’s strength and its ability to deform plastically to dissipate energy. Ductility describes how far the material can deform before breaking, but not how much energy is absorbed overall. Hardness is about resisting indentation, not energy absorption. Elasticity is about returning to shape after small deformations, not the energy to failure. So the property that best captures energy absorption before fracture is toughness.

Toughness measures how much energy a material can absorb before it fractures. It’s the energy per unit volume, captured by the area under the stress–strain curve up to failure, so it reflects both the material’s strength and its ability to deform plastically to dissipate energy. Ductility describes how far the material can deform before breaking, but not how much energy is absorbed overall. Hardness is about resisting indentation, not energy absorption. Elasticity is about returning to shape after small deformations, not the energy to failure. So the property that best captures energy absorption before fracture is toughness.