Question

true/false: unlike brittle materials, tough materials are less likely to fracture because the mechanical work done on the material is split between plastic deformations and crack propagation.

Answer 1

True. Tough materials are less likely to fracture because they can absorb energy through plastic deformations and crack propagation, which allows the mechanical work done on the material to be split between those two mechanisms. In contrast, brittle materials lack the ability to deform plastically and tend to fracture suddenly and catastrophically when subjected to stress.