What does a destructive test generally measure?

A destructive test is designed to determine a material's performance under conditions that may lead to its failure. This type of testing specifically measures the material's ability to withstand applied loads until either deformation occurs or the material breaks. The results from destructive tests provide valuable insights into strength, ductility, toughness, and overall durability, which are critical factors in engineering applications.

The focus of destructive testing is to understand how a material behaves when subjected to stress, which is not something that can be assessed through measurements like surface finishes, corrosion rates, or material density. While those factors are important in material evaluation, they do not provide direct information about how a material will perform when it is put under load, making deformation or breakage under load the focal point of destructive testing.