What does cohesion mean in the context of material assessment?

What does cohesion mean in the context of material assessment?

• A. Material with structural integrity
• B. Ability to resist chemical reaction
• C. Rate of moisture absorption
• D. Color stability under UV exposure

Answer: (A)

Cohesion is the internal attraction that binds a material’s particles together, giving it the ability to act as a single, solid piece under load. In material assessment, strong cohesion means the material maintains its integrity and doesn’t easily crack or separate, which is exactly what “structural integrity” describes. The other properties—chemical resistance, moisture absorption, and UV-induced color stability—relate to how the material interacts with its environment or ages, not to the internal bonding that cohesion measures. So cohesion best corresponds to the material’s ability to hold together as a coherent structure.

Cohesion is the internal attraction that binds a material’s particles together, giving it the ability to act as a single, solid piece under load. In material assessment, strong cohesion means the material maintains its integrity and doesn’t easily crack or separate, which is exactly what “structural integrity” describes. The other properties—chemical resistance, moisture absorption, and UV-induced color stability—relate to how the material interacts with its environment or ages, not to the internal bonding that cohesion measures. So cohesion best corresponds to the material’s ability to hold together as a coherent structure.