Which of the following is a characteristic of ductile materials?

Ductile materials are known for their ability to undergo significant plastic deformation before breaking. This characteristic allows them to absorb energy and deform under stress rather than fracturing suddenly. Such materials, like steel and certain alloys, will stretch or change shape when subjected to tensile forces, enabling engineers to design structures where gradual failure is preferable to sudden failure.

In contrast, materials that fracture without deformation represent brittle behavior, where they break under stress with little to no plastic deformation. Low tensile strength is not a defining characteristic of ductile materials; in fact, many ductile materials possess high tensile strength, allowing them to withstand considerable loads. Additionally, the weight of a material does not inherently relate to its ductility, as ductile materials can vary widely in density. Therefore, the ability of ductile materials to endure significant plastic deformation is what sets them apart and confirms why this answer is correct.