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Matter Index Definition Of Mechanical Properties
| Tensile Strength | This is the ability of a material to withstand tensile loads without rupture when the material is in tension |
| Compressive Strength | This is the ability of a material to withstand Compressive (squeezing) loads without being crushed when the material is in compression . |
| Shear Strength | This is the ability of a material to withstand offset or traverse loads without rupture occurring . |
| Toughness | This is the ability of a material to withstand shatter. A material which easily shatters is brittle. Toughness indicates the ability of a material to absorb energy |
| Elasticity | This is the ability of a material to deform under load and return to its original size and shape when the load is removed. The property is required for springs |
| Plasticity | This is the property of a material to deform permanently under the application of a load. Plastacine is plastic. This is the exact opposite to elasticity. |
| Ductility | This is ability of a material to stretch under the application of tensile load and retain the deformed shape on the removal of the load. A ductile material combines the properties of plasticiy and tensile strength. All materials which are formed by drawing are required to be ductile |
| Malleability | This is the property of a material to deform permanently under the application of a compressive load. A material which is forged to its final shape is required to be malleable |
| Fatigue Strength | This is the property of a material to withstand
continuously varying and alternating loads Fatigue Information Link |
| Hardness | This is the property of a material to withstand indentation and surface abrasion by another hard object. It is an indication of the wear resistance of a material.e.g Diamonds are very hard. Information on hardness measurement is found on page Hardness measurement information link |
Metals listed in order of their properties
Note: This is only a crude table and should not be used for making design decisions
| Toughness | Brittleness | Ductility | Malleability | Hardness | Corrosion Resistance |
| Copper | White Cast Iron | Gold | Gold | Diamond | Gold |
| Nickel | Grey Cast Iron | Silver | Silver | Tungsten | Platinum |
| Iron | Hardened Steel | Platinum | Aluminium | Hardened Steel | Silver |
| Magnesium | Bismuth | Iron | Copper | SteelSteel | Mercury |
| Zinc | Manganese | Nickel | Tin | Brass | Copper |
| Aluminium | Bronzes | Copper | Lead | Titanium | Lead |
| Lead | Aluminium | Aluminium | Zinc | Copper | Tin |
| Tin | Brass | Tungsten | Iron | Aluminium | Nickel |
| Cobalt | Structural Steel | Zinc | - | Zinc | Iron |
| Bismuth | Zinc | Tin | - | Gold | Zinc |
| - | Monel | Lead | - | Tin | Magnesium |
| - | Tin | - | - | Lead | |
| - | Copper | - | - | Graphite | - |
| - | Iron | - | - | Lithium | - |