Explain what tensile testing evaluates.

Tensile testing is a fundamental materials science method used to evaluate how materials behave when subjected to uniaxial tension. This form of testing assesses two critical properties of materials: strength and ductility.

Strength refers to the maximum stress that a material can withstand when being pulled before failing or breaking. Ductility indicates how much a material can deform plastically before it fractures, which is essential for understanding how a material will perform in real-world applications where stretching or bending is common.

During a tensile test, a specimen is pulled until it deforms and eventually breaks, allowing for the measurement of these key properties. The resulting stress-strain curve highlights important characteristics, such as the yield strength, ultimate tensile strength, and the degree of elongation, providing insights into the material's behavior under tension.

This testing plays a critical role in material selection and design, as it helps engineers predict how materials will respond under different loads and conditions, ensuring they choose the right material for the specific application.