Which term describes the deformation or change in shape of a metal when a stress or load is applied?

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Strain is the deformation or change in shape a metal undergoes when a stress or load is applied. It measures how much the material stretches, compresses, or shears relative to its original dimensions, typically as a change in length divided by the original length (a dimensionless quantity, sometimes shown as a percentage). This distinguishes strain from stress, which is the internal force per unit area that causes the deformation. Elasticity refers to how well the material returns to its original shape after the load is removed, while hardness concerns a material’s resistance to surface indentation rather than overall deformation. So the term that describes the deformation itself is strain.