# What's the difference between toughness and strength?

1. Mar 14, 2005

### bullet

Who can give a detailed explanation?

2. Mar 14, 2005

### HallsofIvy

Staff Emeritus
I certainly can't! Are you sure those are standard physics terms?

3. Mar 14, 2005

### fdarkangel

what exactly do you mean with "toughness" and "strength"?

assuming strength implies power, and toughness implies force: they mean $$\frac{dE}{dt}$$and $$\frac{dp}{dt}$$ respectively. i'm not sure about these assumptions, though.

4. Mar 14, 2005

### Gokul43201

Staff Emeritus
Toughness and strength are materials engineering terms.

Toughness is the area under the stress-strain curve, and is a measure of the total energy absorbed until failure.

Strength is the usually a specific value of the applied stress. Strength can refer to either the Yield Strength or the Breaking Strength. The Yield Strength or Yield Point is the stress beyond which plastic flow begins, and is very close to the elastic limit of the material. The Breaking Strength is the stress at failure. Another term often refered to is the Ultimate Tensile Strength or Maximum Stress, which is the stress at the highest point on a true stress-strain curve.

5. Mar 14, 2005