Which property describes the ability to return to its original size and shape after the force is removed?

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Elasticity is the property that lets a material deform under load but return to its original size and shape when the force is removed. This reversible behavior occurs as long as the deformation stays within the elastic limit. If the force is large enough to exceed that limit, the material undergoes permanent, or plastic, deformation and won’t fully recover. Strain is just the amount of deformation (change in length relative to the original length), and stress is the internal force per area resisting the load. So elasticity best describes returning to the original dimensions after removing the force.