Crystalline ceramics do not plastically deform via dislocation motion at temperatures well below their melting point ().

Select only one of the following and explain your answer.

a. This statement is true because crystalline ceramics have very few dislocations at .

b. This statement is true because the dislocations in a crystalline ceramic are significantly less mobile due to the complex bonding between the cations and anions and the need to maintain local charge neutrality.

c. This statement is not true. Upon loading, crystalline ceramics do plastically deform via dislocation motion and once the stress reaches a critical threshold, they fail by fracture.

d. None of the above correctly identify why the statement is either true or false.