Which term describes the ability of a material to withstand permanent deformation under compressive stress without sustaining permanent damage?

Which term describes the ability of a material to withstand permanent deformation under compressive stress without sustaining permanent damage?

• A. Irregular
• B. Malleability
• C. Matrix
• D. Microleakage

Answer: (B)

Malleability is the property that describes how easily a material can be shaped by pressing or hammering, undergoing permanent (plastic) deformation under compressive forces without cracking or breaking. This means a malleable material can be pressed into sheets or formed into new shapes and retain that shape. Metals like gold are classic examples, able to be hammered into thin sheets without fracturing. This concept is distinct from ductility, which refers to stretching under tension, and from brittleness, which means a material fractures with little to no deformation. The other terms aren’t about how a material behaves under compression: irregular isn’t a material property, matrix is a structural term for the surrounding substance in a composite, and microleakage refers to leakage at interfaces rather than deformation behavior.

Malleability is the property that describes how easily a material can be shaped by pressing or hammering, undergoing permanent (plastic) deformation under compressive forces without cracking or breaking. This means a malleable material can be pressed into sheets or formed into new shapes and retain that shape. Metals like gold are classic examples, able to be hammered into thin sheets without fracturing. This concept is distinct from ductility, which refers to stretching under tension, and from brittleness, which means a material fractures with little to no deformation. The other terms aren’t about how a material behaves under compression: irregular isn’t a material property, matrix is a structural term for the surrounding substance in a composite, and microleakage refers to leakage at interfaces rather than deformation behavior.