Ductility refers to a material's ability to deform under tensile stress without fracturing. This means the material can be stretched or drawn into a wire without breaking.
Clay, on the other hand, is brittle when dry. It can easily crack and shatter under tension. However, clay exhibits plasticity when wet.
Plasticity means the material can deform permanently under compressive stress without breaking. This is why we can mold wet clay into different shapes.
Here's a breakdown:
* Ductile: Stretches and deforms under tension without breaking (e.g., gold, copper).
* Brittle: Breaks easily under tension (e.g., glass, dry clay).
* Plastic: Deforms permanently under compression (e.g., wet clay, putty).
So, while clay is not ductile, it is plastic when wet, allowing it to be molded into different forms.