A metal is rolled and hammered into sheets. Which property describes this behavior?

• A. Ductility
• B. Malleability
• C. Brittleness
• D. Toughness

Answer: (B)

When metal is shaped by rolling and hammering, it is being formed under compressive forces into a new, flat form. This ability to be flattened or pressed into thin sheets is called malleability. Malleable metals can flow and rearrange their internal structure under pressure without breaking, which is why you can turn them into sheets, coins, or foil.

In contrast, brittleness would make the metal crack or shatter under stress, and toughness concerns how much energy a material can absorb before fracturing. Ductility is related but refers to drawing the material out into wires under pulling (tension), rather than compressive shaping. So the behavior described fits malleability—the metal’s capacity to be shaped by rolling and hammering into sheets.