Which property measures a material's ability to withstand compressive loads?

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

Answer: (B)

Focusing on how a material resists pushing forces helps you see why compressive strength is the right property. Compressive strength is the maximum compressive stress a material can withstand before it fails. It’s determined from a compression test and is expressed in MPa or psi. This quantity directly describes how well a material holds up when squeezed, which is the scenario in many real-world parts like columns and supports. It’s different from tensile strength, which measures resistance to being pulled apart, and from toughness, which relates to how much energy a material can absorb before failing, and from shear strength, which concerns resisting sliding between layers. For example, concrete can bear large compressive loads, but it is relatively weak in tension, illustrating why compressive strength is the key measure for compressive loads.