What is impact strength also known as?

Impact strength is synonymous with toughness. It refers to a material's ability to absorb energy and deform plastically without fracturing when subjected to sudden stresses or impacts. Toughness is a crucial property in many applications, especially in refrigeration and mechanical systems, as it determines how well a material can withstand conditions such as shock loads or temperature variations without failing.

In contrast, brittleness refers to a material's tendency to crack or break without significant plastic deformation when stressed, which is the opposite of toughness. Ultimate strength is the maximum stress a material can withstand before failure, while yield strength is the amount of stress at which a material begins to deform plastically. Both ultimate and yield strength are important measures of a material's strength, but they do not quantify its ability to absorb energy through deformation, which is precisely what toughness does. Therefore, identifying impact strength with toughness highlights the significance of a material's durability and resilience in various applications.