Ductility
Ductility can be quantified by the fracture strain formula_1, which is the engineering strain at which a test specimen fractures during a uniaxial tensile test. Another commonly used measure is the reduction of area at fracture formula_2. The ductility of steel varies depending on the alloying constituents. Increasing the levels of carbon decreases ductility. Many plastics and amorphous solids, such as Play-Doh, are also malleable.
The most ductile metal is platinum and the most malleable metal is gold.
Copper in architecture
Metals are ranked according to galvanic numbers as a qualitative measure of their nobility. These numbers qualify the resistance to corrosion of any metal when in contact with other metals. A larger difference in the galvanic number between two metals in contact with each other indicates a greater potential for corrosion.
The galvanic numbers of the most common metals used in construction are ranked as follows: 1. aluminum; 2. zinc; 3. steel; 4. iron; 5. stainless steel - active; 6. tin; 7. lead; 8. copper; 9. stainless steel - passive.