The ability of a material to withstand pulling forces is called what?

• A. Compressive strength
• B. Tensile strength
• C. Shear strength
• D. Bending strength

Answer: (B)

When a material is pulled, the stress the material experiences is tension. The property that tells us how much of that pulling force the material can resist before it fails is tensile strength. This is determined in a tensile test, where a specimen is stretched until it breaks, and the maximum stress reached is reported as the tensile strength (often contrasted with yield strength, which is the point where plastic deformation begins). This is distinct from compressive strength (resistance to being squeezed), shear strength (resistance to sliding between adjacent layers), and bending strength (resistance to bending moments that create tension on one side and compression on the other). So, the ability to withstand pulling forces is tensile strength.