What is compressive strength?

• A. The ability to withstand pressure on the surface
• B. The ability to withstand being pulled apart
• C. The ability to resist impact
• D. The ability to resist tearing

Answer: (A)

Compressive strength measures how well a material resists forces that push it together, i.e., loads that compress it from opposite directions. It describes the material’s ability to withstand being squashed or crushed under surface pressure. The option that mentions resisting pressure on the surface directly aligns with this idea of compression. The other ideas correspond to different properties: pulling apart (tensile strength), resisting sudden impacts (impact resistance), or tearing (often related to tensile/shear failure), which are not about compression.