ANS:B - toughness

Toughness is a material property that describes its ability to resist fracture when subjected to mechanical loading, impact, or shock. It encompasses several mechanical properties, including strength, ductility, and resilience, and it indicates the amount of energy a material can absorb before fracturing. In simpler terms, toughness is a measure of a material's ability to withstand forces without breaking. A material with high toughness can absorb energy and deform plastically before fracturing, while a material with low toughness may fracture abruptly without significant deformation. Toughness is especially important in applications where materials are subjected to dynamic loading or impact, such as in structural components, machinery parts, and tools. For example, in engineering applications, materials with high toughness are preferred for components that may experience sudden loads or impacts, as they are less likely to fail catastrophically. Mathematically, toughness can be quantified using various parameters, including fracture toughness, impact toughness, and tensile toughness, depending on the specific testing methods and loading conditions. These parameters provide valuable information about a material's behavior under different types of mechanical stress.