塑性

1. Origins, structure, and basic meaning

• Structure: 塑性(そせい) is the property of retaining a changed shape after the force causing the change is removed.
• Basic usage: It refers to the property used when shaping metal into thin sheets.
  • 金属の塑性を利用して、薄い板に加工する。

2. Common pitfalls and similar expressions

• Contrast with elasticity
  • 弾性(だんせい) is the tendency to return to the original shape when a force is removed. The defining feature of 塑性 is that the deformation remains.
• Different from softness
  • 柔らかい(やわらかい) broadly means soft. 塑性 concerns whether a changed shape is retained, not simply whether something feels soft.