Difficulty: Easy
Correct Answer: Malleability
Explanation:
Introduction / Context:
Malleability is a key mechanical property used to select materials for sheet production, cladding, and forming operations in civil and structural engineering. Understanding how malleability differs from related terms such as ductility, plasticity, and elasticity helps engineers choose suitable materials for processes like rolling, stamping, and forming thin plates for roofing, flashing, and façade panels.
Given Data / Assumptions:
Concept / Approach:
Malleability is the ability of a material to undergo extensive plastic deformation under compressive loading (hammering, rolling, pressing) without cracking, which directly enables forming into thin plates. Ductility is the capacity to deform plastically under tensile loading, producing wires or elongated shapes. Elasticity is the tendency to return to original shape after removal of load. Plasticity is the broader ability to undergo permanent deformation without fracture, of which malleability and ductility are specific manifestations under compression and tension respectively.
Step-by-Step Solution:
Verification / Alternative check:
Common examples of malleable metals include gold, silver, aluminum, and copper. These can be rolled into foils or sheets used in building envelopes, flashing, and ducting. In contrast, very ductile metals (like copper) can also be drawn into wire, illustrating the distinction between the two properties by loading mode.
Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Common Pitfalls:
Confusing ductility with malleability; both involve plastic deformation but under different dominant stress states (tension vs. compression). Another mistake is assuming elasticity helps in forming; elasticity actually resists permanent shape change.
Final Answer:
Malleability
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