Which term describes the tendency of a material to fracture with little plastic deformation?

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

Answer: (A)

Brittleness describes a material’s tendency to fracture with little plastic deformation. When a brittle material is stressed, it doesn’t yield or flow much; cracks form and propagate quickly, leading to sudden failure. This is different from ductility, where a material can undergo substantial plastic deformation before breaking, absorbing more energy in the process. Hardness, on the other hand, is about resisting surface indentation, not how a material deforms in bulk before fracture, and elasticity refers to reversible deformation under load. Materials like glass and some ceramics are classic brittle examples, while metals can be ductile under many conditions but may become brittle at low temperatures or high strain rates.