Alternate Definitions for elastic properties

Definition: Tensile strength is the maximum stress a material can withstand while being stretched or pulled before it begins to deform permanently.

Example: Steel beams in a bridge are designed to withstand the tensile forces generated by gravity and traffic.

Definition: How stiff a material is, i.e. how a material behaves when forces or stresses are applied to it.

Example: Stiffness, Young's modulus, shear modulus