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Malleability of a metal refers to its ability to:

  1. Conduct electricity effectively.

  2. Be hammered into shapes.

  3. Absorb heat without melting.

  4. React with acids.

The correct answer is: Be hammered into shapes.

Malleability specifically describes a metal's ability to be deformed under compressive stress, which allows it to be hammered or rolled into thin sheets without breaking. This property is essential in metallurgy and manufacturing because it enables the production of various metal shapes and products through processes like forging and stamping. The other options relate to different physical properties of metals. For instance, conductivity refers to how well a metal can transmit electricity; heat absorption pertains to a metal's capacity to withstand temperature changes without melting; and reactivity with acids concerns how a metal interacts chemically with acidic substances. However, none of these characteristics define malleability, which is strictly about the capacity to change shape through deformation.