Real-Life Examples of Tension Force

📚 Quick Study Guide

• 🏋️‍♀️ Definition: Tension force is the pulling force transmitted axially through a string, rope, cable, or similar object, or by each end of a rod or strut.
• 📏 Units: Measured in Newtons (N).
• 🧮 Formula: In simple cases, tension ($T$) is equal to the weight of the object being supported ($W$): $T = W$. In more complex situations involving angles, trigonometry is required.
• 🔗 Characteristics: Tension is always a pulling force and acts along the direction of the string or cable.
• 💡 Key Concept: Tension is the same throughout the string, assuming the string is massless and there are no knots or friction.

🧪 Practice Quiz

1. Question 1: Which of the following is the BEST real-life example of tension force?
   1. A car accelerating on a flat road.
   2. A book resting on a table.
   3. A rope pulling a sled.
   4. A magnet attracting a nail.
2. Question 2: A weight is suspended from a ceiling by a single vertical cable. What is the tension in the cable if the weight has a mass of 10 kg (assume g = 9.8 m/s²)?
   1. 9.8 N
   2. 10 N
   3. 98 N
   4. 100 N
3. Question 3: In a tug-of-war, what primarily determines the tension in the rope?
   1. The length of the rope.
   2. The color of the rope.
   3. The force applied by the weaker team.
   4. The force applied by either team (they are equal at any point on the rope).
4. Question 4: An elevator is supported by a cable. When the elevator is accelerating upwards, how does the tension in the cable compare to the weight of the elevator?
   1. The tension is equal to the weight.
   2. The tension is less than the weight.
   3. The tension is greater than the weight.
   4. The tension is zero.
5. Question 5: A tightrope walker walks across a taught rope. What provides the tension in the rope?
   1. The walker's shoes.
   2. The anchors at each end of the rope and the walker's weight.
   3. The wind.
   4. The color of the rope.
6. Question 6: Two people are pulling on opposite ends of a rope with forces of 50 N each. What is the tension in the rope?
   1. 0 N
   2. 25 N
   3. 50 N
   4. 100 N
7. Question 7: A guitar string is tightened. What effect does this have on the tension in the string?
   1. The tension decreases.
   2. The tension increases.
   3. The tension remains the same.
   4. The tension becomes zero.