Final answer:
Shear strength is the ability of a metal to resist being twisted apart.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ability of a metal to resist being twisted apart is called its shear strength. Shear strength refers to a material's ability to resist forces that act parallel to each other but in opposite directions, causing one part of the material to slide or twist relative to the other. It is different from tensile strength, which measures a material's ability to resist being pulled apart.