A tensile strength value of 718,000 psi refers to which property of the material?

• A. Yield strength
• B. Hardness
• C. Tensile strength of the rod
• D. Shear strength

Answer: (C)

Tensile strength is the maximum stress a material can withstand when it is pulled in tension. A value of 718,000 psi represents the highest stress the rod’s material can endure before it breaks under a tensile load. This is a property of the material itself and, for a uniform rod, applies to the rod as a whole (assuming no flaws or defects).

This value is not the yield strength, which would be the stress at which permanent (plastic) deformation begins and is typically lower than the breaking strength. It also isn’t hardness, which measures resistance to indentation, or shear strength, which is the resistance to sliding failures under shear loading. Therefore, the 718,000 psi figure specifically describes the tensile strength of the rod’s material.