Ductility is best defined as which property?

• A. The ability to be drawn into a wire
• B. The shininess of a surface
• C. The ability to be hammered into sheets
• D. The rate at which a solid dissolves

Answer: (A)

Ductility describes how a material can be stretched into a wire under tensile stress. Metals that are ductile, like copper or gold, can elongate significantly without breaking, which is why they’re used for wires. This stretching under load is the defining feature. The term is different from malleability, which is the ability to be hammered into thin sheets. The remaining options describe other properties: shininess (luster) and how fast a solid dissolves (solubility). So, the best definition is the ability to be drawn into a wire.