Hardness vs. Toughness — What's the Difference?
By Tayyaba Rehman — Updated on September 21, 2023
Hardness measures a material's resistance to deformation or scratching, while toughness gauges its ability to absorb energy without breaking.
Difference Between Hardness and Toughness
Table of Contents
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Key Differences
Hardness is a property that quantifies how resistant a material is to being deformed, particularly when faced with an external force or indentation. Conversely, toughness represents a material's capability to withstand the energy of sudden impacts without fracturing.
When gauging hardness, one often looks at how easily a material can be scratched or dented. Materials like diamonds are renowned for their exceptional hardness. In contrast, toughness is about a material's resilience. A material displaying high toughness can endure substantial deformative forces and shocks without breaking apart.
Materials like ceramics may exhibit high hardness, implying they are resistant to scratches. However, they might lack in toughness, which means they can be brittle and shatter easily. Rubber, on the other hand, may not boast significant hardness but can show impressive toughness, absorbing shocks without tearing or breaking.
The testing of hardness might involve tools or machines pressing into a material, observing its resistance. As for toughness, it's usually gauged through impact tests, observing how much energy a material can absorb before cracking or breaking.
To summarize, while both hardness and toughness are essential properties that dictate a material's behavior under stress, hardness deals more with resistance to surface deformation, and toughness concerns a material's resistance to breakage under force.
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Comparison Chart
Basic Definition
Resistance to deformation or scratching
Ability to absorb energy without breaking
Testing Method
Indentation or scratch tests
Impact tests
Associated Behavior
Resistance to surface changes
Resistance to breakage under force
Example Material
Diamond
Rubber
Potential Downside
Materials can be hard but brittle
Materials can be tough but easily deformed
Compare with Definitions
Hardness
The measure of a material's resistance to deformation.
Steel's hardness prevents it from being easily dented.
Toughness
The measure of how resilient a substance is to sudden shocks.
The toughness of a car's bumper helps it resist damage in minor collisions.
Hardness
A quantification of how impervious a material is to surface changes.
The hardness of granite countertops makes them resistant to knife marks.
Toughness
A material's ability to absorb energy and deform without fracturing.
The toughness of boxing gloves ensures they don't tear upon impact.
Hardness
The degree to which substances withstand being shaped or altered.
The hardness of tempered glass prevents easy shattering.
Toughness
In materials science and metallurgy, toughness is the ability of a material to absorb energy and plastically deform without fracturing. One definition of material toughness is the amount of energy per unit volume that a material can absorb before rupturing.
Hardness
A material's capability to repel external compressive forces.
The hardness of a car's exterior paint protects against minor scratches.
Toughness
Able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking; strong and resilient
A tough all-weather fabric.
Hardness
Hardness is a measure of the resistance to localized plastic deformation induced by either mechanical indentation or abrasion. In general, different materials differ in their hardness; for example hard metals such as titanium and beryllium are harder than soft metals such as sodium and metallic tin, or wood and common plastics.
Toughness
Hard to cut or chew
Tough meat.
Hardness
The quality or condition of being hard.
Toughness
Physically hardy; rugged
Tough mountaineers.
A tough cop.
Hardness
The relative resistance of a mineral to scratching, as measured by the Mohs scale.
Toughness
Strong-minded; resolute
A tough negotiator.
Hardness
The relative resistance of a metal or other material to denting, scratching, or bending.
Toughness
Aggressive; pugnacious.
Hardness
The quality of being hard.
Toughness
Inclined to violent or disruptive behavior; rowdy or rough
A tough street group.
Hardness
An instance of this quality; hardship.
Toughness
Difficult to endure; severe; harsh
A tough winter.
Hardness
(inorganic chemistry) The quantity of calcium carbonate dissolved in water, usually expressed in parts per million (ppm).
Toughness
Trying or unpleasant
Had a tough day.
Hardness
The resistance to scratching, cutting, indentation or abrasion of a metal or other solid material.
Toughness
Difficult to deal with; demanding or troubling
It's tough to go to school and work a full-time job. The exam had many tough questions.
Hardness
(physics) The penetrating ability of electromagnetic radiation, such as x-rays; generally, the shorter the wavelength, the harder and more penetrating the radiation.
Toughness
(Informal) Unfortunate; too bad
It was a tough break to get sick on the day of the concert.
Hardness
The measure of resistance to damage of a facility, equipment, installation, or telecommunications infrastructure when subjected to attack.
Toughness
(Slang) Fine; great.
Hardness
A measure of how hard a material is
The hardness of the material was high.
Toughness
A violent or rowdy person; a hoodlum or thug.
Hardness
The quality or state of being hard, literally or figuratively.
The habit of authority also had given his manners some peremptory hardness.
Toughness
(uncountable) The state of being tough.
Hardness
The cohesion of the particles on the surface of a body, determined by its capacity to scratch another, or be itself scratched; - measured among minerals on a scale of which diamond and talc form the extremes.
Toughness
Resistance to fracture when stressed, or the degree of such resistance.
Hardness
The peculiar quality exhibited by water which has mineral salts dissolved in it. Such water forms an insoluble compound with soap, and is hence unfit for washing purposes.
Toughness
(psychologically, emotionally, or biologically) Fortitude; hardiness; mettle.
Intestinal fortitude
Hardness
The property of being rigid and resistant to pressure; not easily scratched; measured on Mohs scale
Toughness
A formidable difficulty.
Hardness
Devoid of passion or feeling
Toughness
The quality or state of being tough.
Hardness
The quality of being difficult to do;
He assigned a series of problems of increasing hardness
Toughness
Enduring strength and energy
Hardness
Excessive sternness;
Severity of character
The harshness of his punishment was inhuman
The rigors of boot camp
Toughness
The property of being big and strong
Hardness
A property indicating how well a substance resists scratching.
The hardness of a diamond makes it a perfect choice for cutting tools.
Toughness
The elasticity and hardness of a metal object; its ability to absorb considerable energy before cracking
Toughness
Impressive difficulty
Toughness
A property indicating a material's resistance to breakage under stress.
Kevlar vests display remarkable toughness, offering protection against bullets.
Toughness
How well substances can endure dynamic forces or impacts.
The toughness of a rubber ball lets it bounce without breaking.
Toughness
The capacity of materials to withstand tensile stresses without tearing.
The toughness of leather makes it a durable choice for jackets.
Common Curiosities
How is toughness different from hardness?
While hardness gauges resistance to surface deformation, toughness measures a material's ability to absorb energy without breaking.
What does hardness primarily measure in materials?
Hardness measures a material's resistance to deformation or scratching.
Is a diamond tougher because it's the hardest natural material?
No, while a diamond exhibits extreme hardness, it can be brittle and lacks the toughness of some other materials.
Can a material be both hard and tough?
Yes, some materials, like certain steel alloys, can be both hard and tough.
How is hardness typically tested?
Hardness is often tested using indentation or scratch tests.
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Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
