Which term describes the metal's ability to withstand permanent deformation without fracturing?

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Permanent, irreversible deformation describes plasticity. This property means the metal can be shaped or bent beyond its elastic limit and will not return to its original form when the load is removed. It’s tied to the yield point on the stress–strain curve: once yielding occurs, atoms rearrange and the material undergoes plastic flow. This is what allows metals to be formed into useful shapes without cracking, and it distinguishes plasticity from elasticity, where deformation is reversible after unloading. Strength tells you how much stress a material can withstand before failing, not how it deforms permanently, and hardness is about resistance to surface indentation, not the ability to deform without fracturing. So, the ability to endure permanent deformation without fracturing is best described by plasticity.