Malleability, << `mal` ee uh BIHL uh tee, >> is the ability of many metals to be pressed or hammered into thin sheets. A malleable metal can be squeezed into a thin sheet by pushing on it in opposite directions. The most malleable metals include copper, gold, and silver. For example, gold can be shaped into foils 10 times as thin as a sheet of paper. Some gold foils measure only 0.0001 inch (0.00254 millimeter) thick. Certain metals are not malleable at room temperature, but they gain malleability when heated and kept at a high temperature. Malleable metals also exhibit ductility–that is, they can be permanently stretched to a considerable degree without breaking.
