What does "ductility" refer to as it applies to metal?

Ductility refers to the ability of a material, particularly metals, to undergo significant plastic deformation before rupture or fracture. It is a measure of how much a material can be stretched, bent, or twisted without breaking. This property is crucial in various welding and fabrication processes, as it indicates how a metal can be manipulated into the desired shape and how it will perform under stress during its service life.

When a metal is ductile, it can absorb energy and undergo deformation rather than breaking suddenly, which adds to its toughness. This is especially important in applications where a metal part will experience dynamic loads, as it allows for some flexibility and helps prevent catastrophic failure. Significantly, ductility is often evaluated through tests that measure a material's elongation or reduction of area during tensile testing.

The other choices relate to different properties of materials. The ability to be magnetized pertains to magnetic properties, corrosion resistance involves the material's ability to withstand environmental effects, and conductivity refers to how well the material can conduct electricity. Each of these properties plays an important role in material selection but does not define ductility.