Which property describes materials with a low modulus of elasticity that can deform more easily?

Which property describes materials with a low modulus of elasticity that can deform more easily?

• A. Stiffness
• B. Flexibility
• C. Toughness
• D. Malleability

Answer: (B)

A material with a low modulus of elasticity is not very stiff, so it bends or stretches more under the same load. That greater ease of deformation is what we call flexibility. In contrast, a high modulus means the material resists deformation and feels stiff. Toughness relates to the energy a material can absorb before breaking, malleability to permanent plastic shaping under forming forces, and neither describes elastic deformability as directly as flexibility. So flexibility best describes a material that deforms easily due to a low modulus of elasticity.

A material with a low modulus of elasticity is not very stiff, so it bends or stretches more under the same load. That greater ease of deformation is what we call flexibility. In contrast, a high modulus means the material resists deformation and feels stiff. Toughness relates to the energy a material can absorb before breaking, malleability to permanent plastic shaping under forming forces, and neither describes elastic deformability as directly as flexibility. So flexibility best describes a material that deforms easily due to a low modulus of elasticity.