We call things fragile if they are easy to spoil, break, or damage. Usually, it is something delicate, thin, or made of a very soft or brittle material. For example, a snowflake, butterfly wing, and a soap bubble are often called fragile.

On the other hand, brittleness is a physical property. It is generally applied to materials that fail when there is little or no plastic deformation before failure. One way to prove this is to match the broken halves, which should fit exactly since no plastic deformation has occurred. The property opposite of fragility is plasticity.

One of the most brittle materials is glass. But bricks are also considered brittle. Despite this, a brick can withstand compression well, and also has other important features: it is fireproof, it doesn’t require additional processing to resist moisture, it absorbs noise, and it doesn’t conduct heat. Therefore, people build strong and durable houses using brick.

In addition to glass and brick, high carbon tool steel is also a brittle material.

Comments to article «What the Most Fragile Thing in the World Is»