What does brittleness in materials indicate?

Brittleness in materials indicates the tendency to fracture without noticeable deformation. This characteristic means that when a brittle material is subjected to stress, it does not exhibit significant plastic deformation before breaking. Instead, it will crack or shatter, often resulting in an abrupt failure.

Understanding brittleness is crucial when selecting materials for various applications, especially in areas where sudden impacts or rapid loading conditions may occur. Options that refer to significant deformation, tensile strength, or elasticity do not align with the definition of brittleness, as they describe properties related to ductility (the ability to deform significantly before breaking) or the elastic behavior of materials under stress, which are distinct properties from brittleness.