Which property of metals allows them to be shaped without breaking?

The correct choice refers to ductility, which is a property of metals that enables them to be drawn into wires or shaped into various forms without breaking. This characteristic is essential in many manufacturing processes, such as metalworking and fabrication, where metals need to be formed into specific shapes under heat or mechanical stress.

Ductility is influenced by the atomic structure of the metal and its ability to undergo plastic deformation. When a ductile metal is subjected to stress, it can permanently deform without fracturing, which is crucial in applications where flexibility and resilience are needed.

While elasticity refers to a material's ability to return to its original shape after being stretched or compressed, and tensile strength indicates the maximum stress a material can withstand before failure, neither of these properties specifically describes the ability to be reshaped without breaking. Brittleness, on the other hand, is the opposite of ductility; it describes materials that break or fracture easily under stress.

Understanding the concept of ductility helps in selecting the right materials for specific applications in engineering and manufacturing.