The property of metals to withstand load without breaking down is known as?

The property of metals to withstand load without breaking down is referred to as strength. Strength is a critical characteristic of materials, particularly metals, as it determines their ability to bear mechanical loads without failing. This property encompasses various types, including tensile strength, compressive strength, and shear strength, each relating to the metal's capacity to resist different types of forces.

Elasticity, on the other hand, refers to a material's ability to return to its original shape after the load is removed, indicating how a material behaves under temporary loads. Plasticity relates to the deformation of a material when a force is applied—it describes how much a material can deform permanently without breaking. Strain is a measure of deformation representing the displacement between particles in a material body and doesn’t directly relate to load-bearing capacity. Hence, strength is the most appropriate term for describing the ability of metals to withstand loads without failure.