alleryStart learning →Tension is best described as which kind of force?
AA push directed along the length of a rigid bar
BA push directed across the width of a flexible rope
CA pull directed across the width of a flexible medium
DA pull directed along the length of a flexible medium
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: D. A pull directed along the length of a flexible medium
1. A tension is a force along the length of a medium, especially a flexible one such as a rope or cable.
2. A flexible connector can exert pulls only parallel to its length.
3. Tension is therefore a pull rather than a push, since you cannot push a rope.
4. A force across the width of a rope would not be a tension at all.
_Source: OpenStax College Physics (CC BY 4.0), Ch 4 "Dynamics: Force and Newton's Laws of Motion", section 4.5 Normal, Tension, and Other Examples of Forces_
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