Question 224General Subjects - Assistant Engineer

The correct answer is D) The ability to resist stretching stresses. Tensile strength refers to the maximum amount of tensile stress that a material can withstand before breaking or failing. Tensile stress is the stress that results from an external force trying to pull or stretch the material apart. Therefore, the tensile strength of a material represents its ability to resist stretching or pulling forces, which makes option D the correct answer. The other options, while related to material properties, do not directly describe the meaning of tensile strength. Option A refers to shear strength, option B refers to bending strength, and option C refers to compressive strength, all of which are distinct from the concept of tensile strength.