A material that clumps together under pressure is described as having which property?

A material that clumps together under pressure is described as having which property?

• A. Cohesive
• B. Elastic
• C. Viscous
• D. Flaky

Answer: (A)

Cohesion is the internal attraction between like particles that makes a material stick together. When you apply pressure and the material clumps, that clumping behavior comes from cohesive forces holding the particles together. So the property described is cohesive. Elastic describes the ability to deform and then bounce back to the original shape, which isn’t about sticking together under pressure. Viscous refers to how a substance resists flow and moves slowly, not about clumping behavior. Flaky is about texture, not bonding under pressure. In soils, cohesive materials like clay clump because of these internal cohesive forces, while noncohesive soils like sand don’t form clumps as readily.

Cohesion is the internal attraction between like particles that makes a material stick together. When you apply pressure and the material clumps, that clumping behavior comes from cohesive forces holding the particles together. So the property described is cohesive.

Elastic describes the ability to deform and then bounce back to the original shape, which isn’t about sticking together under pressure. Viscous refers to how a substance resists flow and moves slowly, not about clumping behavior. Flaky is about texture, not bonding under pressure.

In soils, cohesive materials like clay clump because of these internal cohesive forces, while noncohesive soils like sand don’t form clumps as readily.