Material property fundamentals: Ductility is the property of a solid engineering material due to which it __________ under tensile loading and plastic deformation without fracture.

Introduction / Context:
Ductility is a foundational mechanical property used across design, manufacturing, and failure analysis. It indicates the extent of plastic deformation a material can undergo in tension before fracture. Recognising ductile behaviour is critical for processes such as wire drawing, extrusion, and forming, and for predicting how parts will behave under overload conditions.

Given Data / Assumptions:

• We compare qualitative property definitions, not numerical values.
• Tension-dominated deformation is the context for ductility.
• Standard textbook definitions are assumed (e.g., elongation, reduction of area).

Concept / Approach:
Ductility describes the ability to sustain significant plastic strain in tension. Common indicators are percentage elongation and reduction of area measured on tensile specimens. Materials like low-carbon steel, copper, aluminium, and their alloys are typically ductile at room temperature, while cast iron and many ceramics are brittle. The process most directly enabled by ductility is wire drawing—successive tensile/plastic reductions of cross-section without cracking.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Recall the definition: ductility = ability to undergo plastic deformation under tension.Connect to manufacturing: the signature operation is drawing into wire.Evaluate options: the statement matching this definition is the ability to be drawn into wires.Therefore, choose “can be drawn into wires”.

Verification / Alternative check:
Metals with high elongation in tensile tests (e.g., annealed copper) are easily wire-drawn; brittle materials with minimal elongation cannot be safely drawn.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Breaks with little permanent distortion defines brittleness, the opposite of ductility.

Rolled/hammered into sheets defines malleability (plastic flow in compression), not ductility.

Resisting fracture under impact loads refers to toughness, not ductility.

High elastic modulus means stiffness, an elastic (not plastic) property.

Common Pitfalls:
Confusing ductility with malleability, toughness, or stiffness; assuming any plasticity equals ductility without specifying tension versus compression modes.

Final Answer:
can be drawn into wires