What does ductility in metals refer to?

Ductility in metals specifically refers to the ability of a material to be drawn into wires without breaking. This property allows metals to undergo significant deformation when subjected to tensile stress. When a metal is ductile, it can be stretched into thin strands or wires, which is particularly important in applications such as electrical wiring and structural components.

Understanding ductility is key in metallurgy and materials science because it influences how metals can be processed and used. This property is crucial in the manufacturing and engineering fields, where the ability to form metal into desired shapes and sizes is often required. While some other properties related to metals, such as malleability (ability to be pounded into sheets) and conductivity, are also important, they describe different characteristics of metallic behavior.