What does toughness measure in materials?

Toughness measures a material's ability to absorb impact energy without fracturing. This property is crucial when materials are subjected to sudden forces or impacts, as it indicates how well they can withstand shock loads without failing. Tough materials are able to deform plastically and absorb energy before rupturing, making them ideal for applications where resilience to dynamic forces is essential.

In contrast, other properties such as thermal conductivity and wear resistance focus on different aspects of material behavior, like how well a material can conduct heat or resist surface degradation over time, while thermal expansion relates to a material’s response to temperature changes. Understanding toughness is critical in engineering and materials science, as it helps in selecting the right materials for specific applications that may encounter sudden impacts.