What is the purpose of annealing?

• A. Hardening to increase brittleness
• B. Cooling rapidly to increase strength
• C. Softening to reduce brittleness and improve ductility
• D. Removing surface oxides

Answer: (C)

Annealing is a heat treatment that softens metal by allowing its microstructure to rearrange and relieve internal stresses, restoring ductility after work getting the material hard and brittle. By heating to a suitable temperature, dislocations can move, recrystallization can occur, and new, strain-free grains form, which lowers hardness and makes the metal easier to deform.

That’s why the statement about softening to reduce brittleness and improve ductility is the best description of the purpose. It captures the core aim of annealing: making the material more workable and less brittle. The other ideas—hardening to increase brittleness, cooling rapidly to increase strength, or removing surface oxides—are not how annealing is intended to work.