What does fatigue testing assess?

Fatigue testing is specifically designed to evaluate a material's ability to withstand repeated loading and unloading cycles over time. This type of testing simulates the conditions a material may face in real-world applications, where it is subjected to cyclical stress. As materials experience repeated loads, tiny cracks may initiate and propagate, which can ultimately lead to material failure. By assessing how a material performs under these conditions, engineers can determine its durability and longevity in various applications, making fatigue testing crucial for ensuring the reliability of components that experience cyclic stresses, such as in automotive or aerospace engineering.

The other options focus on different attributes of materials: corrosion resistance, electrical conductivity, and compressive strength, which relate to different testing methods and properties than what is assessed in fatigue testing.