What is tensile strength?

• A. The ability to withstand being pulled apart or stretched
• B. The ability to withstand pressure on the surface
• C. The ability to resist heat
• D. The ability to resist bending

Answer: (A)

Tensile strength is the maximum stress a material can withstand when it is pulled apart or stretched before it breaks. It’s measured by a tensile test, where a specimen is gripped and pulled until it fractures, and the resulting stress value (force per area) is the tensile strength, often called the ultimate tensile strength. This tells you how strong a material is under tension, which matters for cables, ropes, and structural members that resist pulling forces. Materials with high tensile strength resist breaking under load better than those with lower tensile strength (for example, steel versus wood). It’s different from how a material handles compression, bending, or heat, which involve other properties.