elongation at break

Elongation at break is a measure of how much a material can stretch or elongate before it tears or breaks. It indicates the material's flexibility and ability to absorb energy during stretching. This property is expressed as a percentage of its original length; for example, if a 10-inch sample stretches to 15 inches before breaking, its elongation at break is 50%. Materials with high elongation at break are more ductile and can undergo significant deformation, while those with low values are more brittle and tend to break with minimal deformation. It's an important property in assessing material performance for various applications.