Tensile strength measures the force required to pull something such as rope , wire , or a structural beam to the point where it breaks. The tensile strength of a material is the maximum amount of tensile stress that it can take before failure, for example breaking.
There are three typical definitions of tensile strength:
Yield strength – The stress a material can withstand without permanent deformation . This is not a sharply defined point. Yield strength is the stress which will cause a permanent deformation of 0.2% of the original dimension.
Ultimate strength – The maximum stress a material can withstand.
Breaking strength – The stress coordinate on the stress-strain curve at the point of rupture.