Which material property can be used to describe a material that can undergo significant deformation before failure?

Toughness is the property that describes a material's ability to absorb energy and undergo significant deformation before fracturing. It essentially represents the material's capacity to withstand both elastic and plastic deformation. When a material is tough, it can deform plastically under stress and absorb a considerable amount of energy without breaking, which is essential in applications where materials are subject to impact or fluctuating loads.

This property is especially critical in structural engineering, where materials need to withstand forces without failing prematurely. Toughness takes into account both the strength and ductility of the material. Strong materials can withstand high loads, while ductile materials can deform significantly; a tough material combines both characteristics.

In contrast, elasticity refers to the ability of a material to return to its original shape after the removal of a load. Resilience measures how much energy a material can absorb without permanent deformation, focusing more on the elastic range. Homogeneity describes a material’s uniform composition and properties throughout, which does not directly relate to its failure behavior under deformation.