The property that describes resisting wear or scratching is which?

The property that describes resisting wear or scratching is which?

• A. Strength
• B. Hardness
• C. Ductility
• D. Conductivity

Answer: (B)

Hardness is the property that describes resistance to wear or scratching. It measures how difficult it is to cause plastic deformation on a material’s surface, such as scratches or dents, when contacted by another object. A harder material resists these surface damages better, which is why materials like diamond and tungsten carbide are used for cutting tools and wear surfaces. Strength refers to how much load a material can bear before failing, not how easily its surface is scratched. Ductility describes how much a material can deform plastically before breaking, not surface hardness. Conductivity is about how well electrons move through a material, unrelated to wear resistance. So, the ability to resist wear or scratching is captured by hardness.

Hardness is the property that describes resistance to wear or scratching. It measures how difficult it is to cause plastic deformation on a material’s surface, such as scratches or dents, when contacted by another object. A harder material resists these surface damages better, which is why materials like diamond and tungsten carbide are used for cutting tools and wear surfaces. Strength refers to how much load a material can bear before failing, not how easily its surface is scratched. Ductility describes how much a material can deform plastically before breaking, not surface hardness. Conductivity is about how well electrons move through a material, unrelated to wear resistance. So, the ability to resist wear or scratching is captured by hardness.