ductility

/dʌk'tiliti/

Thân thiện

Metals like copper exhibit ductility when drawn into thin wires.

Definition

Noun: 1. The physical property of a material that allows it to be permanently deformed, especially by being stretched into a thin wire, without breaking. This is a key property in materials science and engineering, describing how much plastic deformation a solid material can undergo under tensile stress (pulling force). 2. (Figurative) The quality of being easily influenced, led, or shaped; pliability. This less common usage applies the physical property to describe a person's character or a situation's flexibility.

Usage and Examples

• Scientific/Engineering Context:
  • Gold's high ductility allows it to be drawn into extremely fine wires for use in electronics.
  • When comparing metals, copper exhibits greater ductility than cast iron, which is more brittle.
  • The ductility of the alloy was tested by measuring how far it could be stretched before fracturing.
• Figurative Context:
  • (Less common) The ductility of public opinion made it susceptible to the media's influence.

Advanced Usage

• "Measure of ductility": In engineering, this often refers to quantitative tests like the percentage elongation or reduction in area of a material after it fractures during a tensile test.
• "Ductility limit": The point at which a material ceases to deform plastically and begins to fracture.

Variants and Related Words

• Ductile (adjective): Possessing the property of ductility.
  • Ductile metals are essential for manufacturing processes like wire drawing.
• Malleability (noun): A related but distinct property describing a material's ability to deform under compressive stress (e.g., being hammered into thin sheets). Many ductile materials are also malleable.

Synonyms

• Plasticity (noun): The general capacity for permanent deformation. (Note: is a specific type of plasticity under tension.)
• Pliability (noun): The quality of being easily bent or shaped; more common in figurative use.
• Flexibility (noun): The ability to bend without breaking; can be physical or figurative.

Antonyms

• Brittleness (noun): The property of breaking or shattering without significant plastic deformation.
• Rigidity (noun): The inability to be bent or forced out of shape.

Học thuật

Noun

1. the malleability of something that can be drawn into threads or wires or hammered into thin sheets

Từ đồng nghĩa

• ductileness