In which type of test would you analyze a material's behavior under tension?

The tensile test is specifically designed to evaluate how a material responds to an applied pulling force, commonly known as tension. During this test, a sample is subjected to a controlled stretching until it fails, allowing for the measurement of properties such as ultimate tensile strength, yield strength, and elongation.

In the tensile test, the material is elongated while the force is applied, providing critical insights into its ductility and ability to withstand tension without fracturing. This information is vital for applications where materials will experience tensile loads, helping engineers select the appropriate material for their designs.

In contrast, other tests serve different purposes: the compression test assesses behavior under compressive loads, the fatigue test examines how materials fail under cyclic loading, and the shear test evaluates the material's performance when subjected to forces that cause sliding between two surfaces. Each of these tests contributes valuable data on material properties, but the tensile test specifically focuses on tension, making it the correct choice for this question.