What property of a material refers to its ability to resist being scratched?

The property that refers to a material's ability to resist being scratched is hardness. Hardness is a measure of how resistant a material is to deformation, particularly permanent deformation, such as scratching or indentation. Materials with high hardness will typically endure scratches from less hard substances, making it a critical property to consider in various applications, such as selecting materials for tools, jewelry, or construction.

Density refers to the mass per unit volume of a material and does not directly relate to its resistance to scratching. Texture describes the surface characteristics of a material, such as smoothness or roughness, which can affect its appearance or feel but does not indicate its scratch resistance. Luster describes how light interacts with a material's surface, affecting its shininess or reflectivity, and is also not related to the ability to resist scratching. Thus, hardness is the most relevant property in the context of resistance to scratching.