Which term describes the ability of a material to return to its original shape after stress is removed?

Which term describes the ability of a material to return to its original shape after stress is removed?

• A. Exothermic
• B. Hardness
• C. Ductility
• D. Elasticity

Answer: (D)

Elasticity is the property that lets a material return to its original shape after the load is removed. When the stress stays within the elastic limit, the deformation is reversible, so removing the force lets the material snap back to its original form. If you push beyond that limit, the material undergoes plastic deformation and won’t fully recover its shape. The other terms describe different ideas: exothermic relates to heat released or absorbed during reactions, hardness measures resistance to permanent indentation or scratching, and ductility describes how much plastic deformation a material can undergo before breaking.

Elasticity is the property that lets a material return to its original shape after the load is removed. When the stress stays within the elastic limit, the deformation is reversible, so removing the force lets the material snap back to its original form. If you push beyond that limit, the material undergoes plastic deformation and won’t fully recover its shape. The other terms describe different ideas: exothermic relates to heat released or absorbed during reactions, hardness measures resistance to permanent indentation or scratching, and ductility describes how much plastic deformation a material can undergo before breaking.