Which term describes the metal's resistance to indentation and penetration?

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Hardness describes a metal’s resistance to indentation and penetration. In hardness testing, an indenter is pressed into the surface with a specific force, and the resulting impression’s size or depth shows how resistant the material is to local surface deformation. A smaller or shallower indentation means the material is harder and less able to be penetrated. This concept is distinct from strength (the maximum load a material can bear before failure), strain (the amount of deformation under load), and elasticity (the ability to return to the original shape after the load is removed). So hardness is the measure of resistance to indentation and penetration.