Which material property refers to a metal's ability to be stretched into a wire?

The ability of a metal to be stretched into a wire refers to its ductility. Ductility is the material property that indicates how much a material can deform under tensile stress before breaking. In practical terms, a ductile material can be pulled into wires without losing its structural integrity, making it essential for applications that require forming processes, such as wire production.

Ductility is important in metallurgy because it allows metals to be shaped and formed into various products without fracturing. For example, when a metal is heated or otherwise manipulated, a ductile material will accommodate stretching, resulting in thin wires that are commonly used in electrical applications and other construction features.

This property is distinct from plasticity, which pertains to how a material permanently deforms under stress, and elasticity, which refers to a material's ability to return to its original shape after stress is removed. Hardness measures a material’s resistance to deformation, typically under compressive stress, but does not indicate any ability to be stretched or formed into wires. Thus, ductility is the precise term for this specific capability in metals.