Which material property is specifically related to the ability to resist tension?

Tensile strength is the material property specifically associated with the ability to resist tension. It measures how much pulling force a material can withstand before failure occurs. When a material is subjected to a tensile load, its fibers or molecular structure are pulled apart, and the maximum stress that can be applied without resulting in fracture defines the tensile strength.

Understanding tensile strength is crucial in architectural design because it helps engineers and architects select materials that can support tension loads in structures, like cables in suspension bridges or the load-bearing components of a building. This property is particularly important in applications where materials will experience stretching or pulling forces.

In contrast, compressive strength pertains to resistance against compression forces, which involves pushing or squeezing rather than pulling apart. Brittleness refers to a material's tendency to fracture or break without significant deformation when subjected to stress, while flexural strength relates to a material's ability to withstand bending forces. Each of these properties plays a role in material selection, but only tensile strength is directly related to resistance against tension.