Breaking stress, also known as tensile strength or ultimate tensile strength (UTS), is a measure of the maximum stress a material can withstand before it breaks or fractures. It is an important mechanical property used to assess the strength and durability of materials under tension.

When a material is subjected to a tensile force (pulling force) along its length, the stress on the material increases until it reaches a maximum value. At this point, the material experiences deformation and begins to elongate. If the applied force continues to increase beyond the breaking stress, the material will eventually fail and break.

Breaking stress is typically expressed in units of pressure, such as pascals (Pa) or megapascals (MPa). It represents the amount of force per unit area required to cause the material to break.