Material property for shock-resisting steels: Identify the most critical requirement. Design focus: Select the dominant mechanical property needed when steels must withstand sudden impacts and shocks. Choose the correct property.

ConceptShock-resisting steels must absorb impact energy without brittle fracture. The governing property is toughness (high area under the stress-strain curve in the plastic region).

Common pitfallConfusing hardness or tensile strength with toughness. High hardness may increase brittleness, which is undesirable under shock loading.

Final AnswerHigh toughness