What term describes a material's resistance to chemical attack?

• A. Corrosion resistance
• B. Elasticity
• C. Plasticity
• D. Alloy

Answer: (A)

The concept being tested is how well a material can withstand chemical attack. This is described as corrosion resistance. Corrosion is the degradation that occurs when a material reacts with its environment—through rusting, tarnishing, or dissolving—in the presence of substances like water, oxygen, acids, or salts. Materials with high corrosion resistance either form protective layers (for example, chromium oxide on stainless steel) or are chemically stable enough to slow or prevent these reactions. The other terms refer to different properties: elasticity is about returning to shape after deformation, plasticity is about permanent deformation, and an alloy is a mixture of elements to achieve certain properties. None of these describe resistance to chemical attack.