Which property of a material indicates its ability to endure high-impact loads or shock loads?

Toughness is a key property that characterizes a material’s ability to absorb energy and deform plastically before fracturing, particularly under high-impact or shock loads. A tough material can withstand stress and strain without failing, making it particularly suitable for applications where sudden forces are experienced. For instance, metals like steel are often chosen for structural applications due to their toughness, allowing them to endure dynamic loads without breaking.

In contrast, other properties listed do not relate favorably to the performance under high-impact conditions. Brittleness refers to a material's tendency to fracture easily without significant deformation when stressed, making it unsuitable for high-impact applications. Malleability describes how well a material can be deformed under compressive stress, such as being shaped into sheets, but does not indicate performance under impact. Stiffness measures a material's resistance to deformation under load, but it does not provide information on how a material behaves when subjected to shock loads. Therefore, toughness is the most relevant property when considering impact load resistance.