What type of damage occurs when metal is stretched beyond its elastic limit?

• A. Plastic deformation
• B. Elastic rebound
• C. Brittle failure
• D. Creep

Answer: (A)

Pushing metal past its elastic limit puts it into the plastic region, where the material yields and undergoes permanent, non-reversible shape change. This happens because the crystal lattice dislocations move and rearrange under stress, so when you remove the load the metal does not spring back to its original form. That immediate permanent deformation is what you’re looking for here.

Elastic rebound would occur only if you stayed within the elastic range and then removed the load, so the material would recover its original shape. Brittle failure involves cracking with little or no plastic deformation, which isn’t the typical result of simply stretching beyond the elastic limit. Creep is slow, time-dependent deformation under a sustained load, usually at elevated temperatures, not the immediate permanent change from overstressing beyond the elastic limit.