What is the definition of tensile strength in materials?

Tensile strength is defined as the maximum amount of tensile (pulling or stretching) stress that a material can withstand before failing or breaking. This property indicates the material's capability to endure forces that attempt to elongate it. When a tensile force is applied, a material will have a certain limit, known as its tensile strength, beyond which it cannot sustain the tension and will eventually fail or fracture.

This definition aligns closely with the notion of "breaking strength" when subjected to a tensile force, as it describes the point at which the material ceases to maintain its structural integrity under such stress. Understanding tensile strength is critical in fields such as engineering and materials science, where it informs the selection of appropriate materials for specific applications that require resistance to stretching or pulling forces.

The other options focus on different mechanical properties of materials, such as load-bearing capacity, deformation resistance, or energy absorption, but they do not specifically capture the essence of tensile strength in the way that the concept of breaking under tensile force does.