Tensile strength is defined as a material’s ability to resist forces that can cause it to deform or break. Also termed as “ultimate tensile strength”, it is computed by dividing the peak force that the object is able to withstand with the cross sectional area of the material. In other words, the higher the force that an object can withstand with a given cross sectional area, the higher the tensile strength of the material is.

Tensile strength is tested using a machine called the tensile tester. A load cell is used with the materials tester to determine a specific material’s tensile strength. During a tensile strength test, you can also test for other parameters such as the Young’s modulus of elasticity, elongation, strain, and yield stress.