What is the tensile strength of a material?

Tensile strength refers to the maximum amount of tensile (pulling or stretching) stress that a material can withstand without breaking or permanently deforming. It is a critical property in engineering and materials science, as it determines how much load a material can handle when it is subjected to forces that attempt to elongate it.

The correct choice indicates that tensile strength is related to the limit of pressure an object can withstand, but it's important to clarify that this specifically pertains to tensile forces rather than general pressure. In applications, knowing the tensile strength helps engineers select appropriate materials for various tasks, ensuring safety and performance under applied loads.

The other options do not accurately define tensile strength. Deformation under compressive forces refers to behavior under different types of stress, while conductivity relates to electrical properties of materials. Rigidity, on the other hand, describes how a material resists deformation, which is a different concept altogether.