ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fracture toughness

Fracture toughness is like how strong something is against being broken. Imagine you have a toy that you really love, and you want to make sure it doesn't break if you accidentally drop it. Fracture toughness is like figuring out how hard you can drop the toy before it breaks.

When scientists study fracture toughness, they use a special device called a testing machine. This machine pushes on the material they are testing and measures how much force it takes to make it break. The scientists can use this information to figure out how strong the material is and how likely it is to break in different situations.

For example, imagine you are building a bridge. You need to choose a strong material that won't break easily if a big truck drives over it. Fracture toughness testing can help you figure out which materials are the strongest and most reliable.

So, fracture toughness is like a superpower that helps scientists and engineers figure out how strong materials are and how they will hold up in different situations.