True or False: A brittle fracture grows very rapidly with minimum deformation prior to failure.

True or False: A brittle fracture grows very rapidly with minimum deformation prior to failure.

• A. Cannot be determined
• B. Depends on material
• C. False
• D. True

Answer: (D)

Brittle fracture is defined by very little plastic deformation before the material fails, with the crack propagating rapidly once it starts. Because there’s no substantial plastic zone to blunt the crack tip, the stress concentration remains high and the crack can sweep through the material quickly. That rapid, almost unwarning growth is the hallmark of brittle failure, so the statement that a brittle fracture grows very rapidly with minimum deformation prior to failure is true. Keep in mind that actual speed can vary with material, temperature, and loading rate, but the defining behavior remains rapid crack propagation with minimal deformation.

Brittle fracture is defined by very little plastic deformation before the material fails, with the crack propagating rapidly once it starts. Because there’s no substantial plastic zone to blunt the crack tip, the stress concentration remains high and the crack can sweep through the material quickly. That rapid, almost unwarning growth is the hallmark of brittle failure, so the statement that a brittle fracture grows very rapidly with minimum deformation prior to failure is true. Keep in mind that actual speed can vary with material, temperature, and loading rate, but the defining behavior remains rapid crack propagation with minimal deformation.