What is a disadvantage of brittle metals in engineering?

What is a disadvantage of brittle metals in engineering?

• A. They break suddenly and without warning
• B. They are too soft for use
• C. They are expensive to produce
• D. They have low tensile strength

Answer: (A)

Brittle metals are characterized by their inability to deform plastically before fracturing, which leads to a sudden and catastrophic failure mode. This means that when subjected to stress beyond their yield strength, they do not exhibit the warning signs of deformation, such as bending or yielding that ductile materials might show. As a result, the failure occurs abruptly and can lead to hazardous situations where the structural integrity is compromised without prior indication, posing significant risks in engineering applications where safety and reliability are crucial. This inherent lack of ductility makes the predictability of their behavior under load challenging, making option A the most pertinent disadvantage of brittle metals in engineering contexts.

Brittle metals are characterized by their inability to deform plastically before fracturing, which leads to a sudden and catastrophic failure mode. This means that when subjected to stress beyond their yield strength, they do not exhibit the warning signs of deformation, such as bending or yielding that ductile materials might show. As a result, the failure occurs abruptly and can lead to hazardous situations where the structural integrity is compromised without prior indication, posing significant risks in engineering applications where safety and reliability are crucial. This inherent lack of ductility makes the predictability of their behavior under load challenging, making option A the most pertinent disadvantage of brittle metals in engineering contexts.