Describes the ability of an object to resist compression?

• A. Stiffness
• B. Elasticity
• C. Compressibility
• D. Density

Answer: (A)

Stiffness is the property that tells how much a material resists being deformed when a force is applied. In compression, a stiffer object will shorten much less under the same compressive load, meaning it resists compression more than a softer material. Elasticity, on the other hand, is about how well a material returns to its original shape after being deformed, which is related but not the same as resisting the deformation in the first place. A highly elastic material can still deform easily under pressure if it’s not stiff enough. Compressibility is essentially the degree to which something can be compressed, so a highly compressible material does not resist compression well. Density describes how much mass is packed into a volume, which doesn’t directly measure resistance to compression. So the best fit for resisting compression is stiffness.