Which property describes the ability of a material to be drawn into a wire or other extended shape?

• A. Malleability
• B. Brittleness
• C. Hardness
• D. Ductility

Answer: (D)

Ductility is the ability of a material to be drawn into a wire or other extended shape. This property means the material can undergo substantial plastic elongation under tensile load before it finally breaks, which is exactly what happens when you pull material through a die to make wire. Metals like copper and aluminum are highly ductile because their atoms can slide past one another without fracturing, allowing long strands to form. In contrast, brittleness means the material would crack or shatter with little or no plastic deformation; hardness relates to resisting indentation, and malleability refers to forming into thin sheets under compressive forces rather than drawing out into wires.